Of Flames and Fury
by ZOMATIC
Summary: Have you ever had nightmares of the terror and turmoil of your past? And those nightmares only grow stronger? You convince yourself the pain is over, only to find out that the past truly isn't behind you. Will the PAW Patrol survive this together, or will they be broken apart by the terrors of what they thought they had left behind? Their strength and commitment will be tested.
1. Fun and Games

**_A/N: Hey all! Thanks for reading my stories. I realized that I rushed Through the Flames and lost track of my original ideas and plot arc. I have decided to go back and retool a lot of the story. I plan on taking my time with the chapters going forwards. There will be parts of the original that remain similar, but after I got to about chapter 8, I realized I went the wrong direction with the story and needed to restart. These ideas came to me in the last couple days and I wanted to make sure that I could get the story where it needed to be!_**

 _ **In the meantime, enjoy Chapter 1 of Flames and Fury! Hopefully I'll have the start of a new story out by the end of the week.**_

 _ **In regards to the actual PAW Patrol show, Pups Save Puplantis was a pretty good episode. Hopefully we get more new episodes in Season 5 sooner rather than later. I've enjoyed most of the Sea Patrol episodes.**_

* * *

"I'm good," the young Dalmatian pup called to his friends. He quickly glanced backwards to see what had caught him this time. _"How many times do I have to tell those pups to pick up their toys?"_ he thought to himself.

The other pups immediately stopped their volleyball game and rushed over to the fallen Dally.

"Marshall, what happened?"

"Yeah, dude, watch where you'we going!"

"Seriously, Marshall..."

Rubble, Zuma, and Skye rolled their eyes as they watched their friend pick himself off the grass. Marshall quickly shook it off and walked back to his side of the net, shouting "Ok, I'm ready again. What's the score? 3-1?"

As Marshall readied himself to serve, Skye shot Rubble a quick smirk: "What do you think the klutz will do this time? Or maybe I should ask, what won't he do?" The bulldog pup let out a small snort as he responded, "Oh, this is going to be good!"

Meanwhile, a stoic shepherd pup slowly stood up and stretched from his nap under the bright Adventure Bay sunlight. Chase wasn't one to miss a good game of volleyball, but the stress from the previous week of rescues had finally caught up with him. He glanced backwards towards the lookout, seeing Ryder working on his ATV with the helpful grey mixed-breed Rocky by his side. Chase chuckled to himself softly, wondering why any pup would rather toy around on machinery than play a game in this beautiful weather.

He stiffly bent down to stretch his back legs before looking up at the game in front of him. His best friend and constant companion, Marshall, was about to serve. Chase and Marshall were the first members of Ryder's team, brought together around the same time. They quickly became brothers and the de-facto leaders of the PAW Patrol. As the team grew around them, their bond only grew stronger. Only Marshall and Ryder knew the secrets of Chase's past, and likewise Ryder and Chase knew about Marshall's. He glanced over towards Marshall's team-mate, Zuma, and then at the other side of the net, where Skye and Rubble were snickering to themselves.

" _I wonder what they're laughing about?"_ Chase thought to himself, as the pups in front of him readied for the next point.

"Ok, let me try this again," called Marshall to his playing partners. He tossed the ball in the air and sprinted towards the service line, leaping in the air as he reached for the ball. As he lifted his front paw to serve, a leaf fell from the tree above, distracting him momentarily.

The Dalmatian quickly regained focus, though his timing was now off. He smacked the ball towards the opposing court, but the ball did not cooperate with Marshall's intent. It rebounded off the net post towards his partner, Zuma, who sprung out of the way quickly to avoid the collision. However, Zuma's paw got caught in the net, ripping the netting from the posts and catching Skye and Rubble in tangles.

Marshall closed his eyes in embarrassment, knowing what was coming from his friends.

"Again, Marshall?" Skye whined.

"Uggh, my head," mumbled Rubble. "A little help here?"

"This is the last time I'm picking you as a pawtner, dude. I'VE HAD ENOUGH! My paw hurts, and I can bawely walk now. Thanks a lot," scoffed Zuma as he limped over to untangle Rubble and Skye from the downed netting. "Let's go, pups. We'll gwab some ice from the freezer and watch Apollo. We can't get hurt in there."

Chase stood to attention, watching the sore pups saunter slowly away from the wrecked game. Though he was some distance away from the court, he was able to hear what the other pups had said to Marshall. He gazed over at his buddy, who was pawing sadly at a leaf on the ground.

Chase softened his stance and trotted towards his downtrodden friend.

"Are you OK, Marshall?" Chase asked.

Marshall could sense the sincerity in his friend's voice. He slowly raised his head, sniffling and wiping a tear from his eye.

"I…I…I don't know," Marshall sniffed. "I was just trying to hit a good serve."

Chase put his paw on Marshall's shoulder, nuzzling him to get him to stand up. "It wasn't your fault, Marshall. I saw the leaf distract you."

"Thanks, Chase, but I don't think the other pups saw that. They all think I'm just a clumsy goof. I'm useless," Marshall said as he sat down, facing away from his best friend.

Chase whimpered silently as he watched the usually happy Dally pup melt into a pile of tears. _"Oh, pups, if only you knew…"_

Chase licked the tears from his friend's face and tried to cheer him up. "Come on, pal. You know you're not useless. Who's been called on the most dangerous missions? Who's been my sidekick here in Adventure Bay since day one? There's no other pup I'd rather have along with me on any rescue."

"Thanks, Chase," Marshall sniffed, as he sat up coughing. He couldn't help but let a small smile show.

"Now there's the Marshall we all know and love! Here, let me help you fix the volleyball net. Then we can go in and have some snacks with the rest of the pups."

Chase picked Marshall up off the ground with his muzzle, giving his bud one last pat on the back. The two leaders of the PAW Patrol quickly rebuilt the volleyball net before jogging back towards the lookout.

"I'll meet you inside, Marshall. I left my pack back on the hill." Chase trotted off towards the hill as Marshall built the courage to rejoin his friends inside.

As he approached the door, Marshall stopped as he heard the pups talking inside.

"What a useless dog," Rubble scoffed. "Has anyone ever _seen_ such a clumsy pup!"

"Ha ha ha ha, I know, right!" laughed Skye. "I can't believe Chase puts up with such an idiotic friend."

Marshall could hear Zuma giggling at Skye's comment, before joining in: "We'd be so much better off without him. We wouldn't be getting huwt or wun over all the time. He's such a hindrance."

Tears began to well once again in Marshall's eyes. _"Could those pups, my…my…friends, really think that about me?"_ Marshall thought to himself. _"I…I…can't…"_

His thoughts were interrupted by one more voice from inside, "All he ever does is spray me with his water cannons. I wish we could lose him, and not reuse him," laughed Rocky.

"Oh, that's classic, Rocky!"

"Wocky, too good! Too good, dude!"

" _Rocky too? He wasn't even playing volleyball today…and I've worked on my aim with my cannons."_ Marshall could no longer hold in his tears. He sprinted towards his pup house, sobbing as he ran.

Chase had finally made it back to where Marshall was waiting for him, but the spotted pup was no where in sight. _"Hmm, he must have gone in without me. I'm glad he's feeling better,"_ Chase thought to himself. He turned to walk inside, hearing laughter as he made his way towards the door.

"I'm glad Marshall hasn't come in yet. I'm tired of him always messing things up. And messing us up with his uncoordinated actions," Skye sighed as the other pups stopped laughing and agreed with her.

Chase stopped after hearing this. If Marshall wasn't inside, then, where was he? He had to find his friend.

* * *

Marshall swiftly wiped away the tears at his pup house, stunned at the comments he heard from his friends. _"I know I'm not the most coordinated pup, but it's not my fault. They don't know…"_ his thoughts trailed off as he glanced down the driveway. _"If they want me off the team, then I'm going to take a break."_

Marshall knew he had to be quick, as the PAW Patrol would be on their way soon to find their teammate. He tried to think of a place to hide for the night.

" _Mr. Porter's…no, the pups would check there first. Katie's place? No, she'd call Ryder and have him come get me. Aha! I got it! The place only Chase and I know."_

Marshall sped off towards the pond in the woods. It had become his and Chase's secret place; a place where the two of them could go if they needed time to think. Most of the time each pup went by himself, but sometimes the two buddies needed each other's company when the times were tough. Neither of the pups had shared this spot with anyone or any pup, so Marshall knew he was safe.

Soon enough, Marshall saw the clearing in front of him. He could hear the birds chirping peacefully and watched happily as bunnies were playing in the flowers. _"There's a reason this spot is so special,"_ Marshall thought to himself as he glanced over at the pond.

He quickly found a place to lay down under the sun, and closed his eyes. It had been a long day for the pup and his tired body was only matched by his tired mind. He could no longer keep himself awake and he allowed the drowsiness to overtake him. _"I'll be on the move in a little bit,"_ Marshall yawned again as he laid his head on his paws. His mind quickly raced off as his eyelids closed.

* * *

"Slower…SLOWER…how could you go slower?" an angry voice growled. He grabbed his polished walking stick and walked towards a panting Dalmatian pup. The pup looked up and began to cower and shake in fear.

 ***THWACK***

The man whipped the pup with some rope, causing the dog to yelp and leap in the air.

"Oh, come on, you stupid mutt. You know that doesn't hurt. The sound is worse than the pain," the man scoffed as the pup regained his balance. "You are going to do it one more time. If you go slower again, no kibble tonight."

Marshall looked over at the man. He was tall and muscular, with brown hair and a goatee covering his chin. He always carried a walking stick, though Marshall never saw a reason for him to use it.

" _You will never be my real master,"_ Marshall thought to himself. _"You know you took me from my parents, my family."_ He stopped for a minute, feeling a dull ache in his heart. _"What would my parents think if they knew what I've turned into. I'm a thief. I'm a criminal. I'm a monster."_

Marshall awoke suddenly from his dream; his body was shaking and he could feel a cold sweat. _"It was only a dream…"_ Marshall reminded himself, the memories he'd tried so hard to suppress working their way into the forefront of his mind. He sat up slowly, glancing around to regain his bearings. He'd only been asleep for a short time; the sun was still high above Adventure Bay. He knew that Chase would begin to worry about him if he wasn't back soon. He could still hear the words from the rest of the pups, their insults stinging him over and over. But that dream reminded him of his true family; he knew he belonged with the PAW Patrol. He stood up, dusted himself off, and began the long walk back to the lookout.


	2. Burning Memories

_**A/N:**_

 _ **Here's Chapter 2 Of Flames and Fury. I sincerely hope you all enjoy the new story.**_

 _ **Thanks for the great reviews and encouragement, I appreciate it all! Please leave any comments, suggestions, or anything else in the reviews.**_

 _ **I have the next couple chapters laid out for this story, and am beginning work on one other story as well. Hoping to have something up on the new story by the end of the week, and get the next chapter Of Flames and Fury out by next week. I feel much better about this story than the one before.**_

 _ **Thanks everyone and enjoy!**_

* * *

Chase gradually approached Marshall's pup-house, determined to talk with his best friend. He followed Marshall's scent, but noticed something different about it. It smelled…sad. His ears folded back as he understood what Marshall had overheard. The other pups, _their friends_ , were making fun of Marshall and his clumsiness. Upon reaching the pup-house, Chase took a deep breath as he knocked on the door.

"Marshall, it's me. I know you're in there. Can you open up?" Chase called out, to be greeted by silence. "Marshall?" Chase whispered, beginning to worry. "Marshall, please open up." But there was no response from inside.

" _Sorry I have to do this, pup, but I need to help you,"_ Chase mumbled as he hit the emergency button on the outside of the pup house. The door slid open and Chase noticed a lump in the middle of the house under the red blanket with yellow fire hydrants.

"Buddy, please. Marsh. Talk to me," Chase whispered as he reached out, pulling the blanket off Marshall.

The police pup was not ready for the house to be empty. He yipped as the blanket revealed a bare floor. He set the blanket down and pondered where to go next.

" _Oh, Pup me…"_ Chase caught himself thinking, wondering to where Marshall had disappeared. He sat down on the floor of Marshall's pup house and sighed. _"I can't believe the other pups treated Marshall that way…"_ his mind drifted off to a memory some years prior.

* * *

The dead of night was broken by the high-pitched sound of an alarm ringing across town. Chase looked up at his father, eager to join him on his nightly patrol.

"Father, sir! Do you hear that?" Chase asked excitedly, knowing very well his father could hear the alarm. "We need to help!"

The tall shepherd glared at his pup, giving him a sharp look to settle him down. Chase had just completed the majority of his police pup academy and was serving his apprenticeship under his father. He was enthusiastic about his work and was ready for a night of action.

"Alright, son. But remember, be quiet, be careful, and stay behind me," Gunther warned. The adult shepherd was a mirror image of his son, though age was changing some of his dark brown fur to grey and white. "This town is dangerous at night. We don't know what we're going to run into."

The two police dogs grabbed their packs and made their way to a modified police cruiser, notifying the chief of their planned activities. Once finished, they sped off in the direction of the alarms, ready to serve and protect the city of Ironton. Just before they reached the sounding alarms, Gunther shut off the police sirens, hoping to catch the perpetrators off-guard. The two shepherds jumped out of the vehicle and approached the sounds, making sure to stay out of sight.

The situation unfolding in front of them shocked even the experienced K9. A masked man was robbing a bank; there was nothing unusual about that in a town like Ironton. However, what they both saw next was completely unexpected: a young pup running in and out of the bank, carrying bags of money to a vehicle hidden in an alley. The pup's fur was as black as the night itself. Gunther radioed the chief, informing him of the situation and came up with a plan. The chief would be coming shortly, but Gunther and Chase would apprehend the suspects before reinforcements arrived.

The two police dogs crept silently in the shadows toward the bank, hiding behind two large dumpsters near the alley. They watched the man and the pup carry a few more bags of money into the vehicle, waiting until they knew the police chief was close. As the two criminals approached the vehicle one final time, Gunther jumped forward, barking out a bright light from his backpack and shined it at the suspects. He growled: "Freeze! Drop the bags and kneel down with your hands and paws on the ground."

Chase followed his father's lead, barking out his own spotlight and aimed it at the pup. Chase looked down at the pup and snarled, "Get down, pup." With fear in his eyes, the pup followed Chase's instructions, laying on the ground with his paws outstretched. The man, however, would not cooperate. He scowled back at the police dogs and yelled at his pup, "Get up, you bastard, and fight!" He angrily stepped towards the pup, prodding him with a walking stick.

"Sir! I said drop to your knees, now!" Gunther called again, growling and bearing his teeth at the criminal. The man still did not obey.

"Marshall, stand up now, you coward, and fight!" he hissed, poking the pup in the head with the stick, "Don't you dare challenge me now."

"St..st..stop, Dominick!" the pup cried, beginning to shake on the ground, not moving an inch. Chase, though maintaining his tough façade, felt sorry for the pup. He could sense the tension in the situation.

"I'll tell you one more time, sir. On the ground, now!" Gunther barked again, walking even closer to the man. The man looked up and raised his walking stick at Gunther, before swinging it rapidly downward. Gunther hesitated and braced for impact, before,

 ***THWACK***

Gunther looked up, startled. The nauseating sound of bones cracking split the night as the pup was thrown through the air, having been hit by his own master. Gunther viciously attacked the man, grabbing his arm with a bite strong enough to break it. The man crumpled in pain, but Gunther would not let go. By this time, the police chief had arrived with reinforcements and apprehended the man with Gunther's help.

Chase, who was momentarily stunned by the man's violence and his father's aggression, snapped into action, running towards the injured pup, who lay on the ground in a heap. The pup was unconscious and his breathing was labored; the walking stick had broken open a deep gash on the back of his head. Chase immediately barked for help, wanting to do anything for the lifeless pup in front of him. He knew the pup was not acting under his own volition and saw the fear in his eyes when confronted by the police K9s. Eventually, the pup was placed into an ambulance and driven away, with Chase and Gunther following to the hospital.

* * *

Chase could feel a few tears welling in his eyes; that memory burned permanently in his mind felt like just yesterday. None of the other pups knew what Marshall had gone through before joining the PAW Patrol; his clumsiness just one of the many side effects of the torture at the hands of his captor. It took months for Marshall to recuperate physically and even longer to recover emotionally, the scars deeper than the surface. The nights were numerous during the early days at the lookout where Chase would sleep next to Marshall inside, keeping him company as the nightmares took over his brain.

Chase finally regained composure and thought hard about where Marshall would go. He stepped out of the pup house and gazed into the early afternoon sunshine. _"Marshall. I'm sorry for what the other pups said. But where did you go?"_ Chase thought to himself as the warm breeze picked up. A few leaves blew with the wind and the chirping of birds was the only sound Chase heard. _"That's it! I know where he is!"_ Chase realized, knowing Marshall would go to the spot only he and Chase knew about.

Chase hesitated for a moment and peered back into the lookout. He saw the other four pups laughing and enjoying their TV show, oblivious to the hurt they inflicted on their teammate. He slowly walked towards the end of the driveway before activating his pup tag.

"Ryder, sir, can I speak with you?" Chase asked calmly, realizing it was time to speak to the leader of the PAW Patrol.

"Sure, Chase. I'm still by my ATV. Want me to come up there?" Ryder answered, puzzled by Chase's request. Ryder had given the pups a day off following a long week of rescues. Chase and Marshall were especially tired, as they'd participated in each mission that week. He had seen the pups playing volleyball earlier and knew they'd now be inside watching the new Apollo episode.

"No, sir, that's OK. I'll meet you down there," Chase responded, heading down the hill to Ryder's garage. The short walk felt like a marathon to the shepherd, thoughts continuing to swirl in his tired mind. He eventually reached the garage and walked inside to find Ryder. The garage was similar to a secret lair; Ryder and Rocky spent countless hours inside creating and tweaking gear for the PAW Patrol. Chase saw Ryder sitting at one of the desks, awaiting the arrival of his police pup.

"What's up, pup?" Ryder asked, a slight twinge of concern in his voice. "Is everything alright?"

"Ryder, sir, I don't like tattling on my teammates, but I overheard some of them say some nasty things about Marshall today after the volleyball game." Chase's voice began to break with sadness. He recalled the insults the pups had uttered earlier in the day, his heart breaking the same way Marshall's did. Ryder listened intently, picking his pup off the ground and scratching him behind the ear.

"Thanks for telling me, Chase. I'll think of a way to deal with the other pups. I truly hope they didn't mean what they said about Marshall; he's their friend and teammate." Ryder looked down at Chase who reached up and licked him on the face. "Anything else, Chase?"

Chase looked down at his paws. "Ryder, sir. Marshall ran away." Chase let a couple tears fall from his face, the memories still fresh in his mind.

Ryder stared at his pup, stunned at the words he just heard. _"Those pups must have really hurt Marshall today,"_ he thought to himself. He quickly gathered his emotions and responded to Chase, "Let's go find him. No job is too big, no pup is too small." Ryder reached into his pocked to pull out his pup pad, but Chase blocked his arm.

"Ryder, sir. I don't think we should bring the rest of the pups with us. I know they'll feel bad when they find out Marshall ran away, but I know where he is." Chase said to Ryder, persuading him with puppy-dog eyes. "There's only one spot he would go – and only I know where it is!"

Chase jumped down off Ryder's lap and started to run out of the garage. He stopped at the door and looked back at Ryder. "Are you coming?" he asked eagerly.

"Yes, pup, I'm coming," Ryder answered, chuckling silently. "You want a ride?" he asked Chase.

"Oh, sorry. Yes, sir, I'd appreciate that," Chase answered, sauntering back into the garage and jumping on Ryder's ATV.

"Tell me where to go, Chase," Ryder called back to Chase as they pulled out of the driveway, though he knew exactly where Chase was taking him – he knew more about his pups than they realized.

* * *

Marshall's mind was racing - he couldn't help but recall the hurtful words his friends used while he was standing outside the lookout. And that dream – he thought his nightmares were over. It had been over a year since any of those memories made their way into his dreams and he hoped they wouldn't return. But something was causing him a feeling of uneasiness, and he couldn't quite put a paw on it. He quickly shook his head and recovered his focus. Marshall slowly made his way out of the woods and onto the path back to the lookout.

The sun was starting to set below the trees and the shadows were growing long. Marshall shivered a few times as he made his way back home – his short fur didn't keep him very warm when the cool early autumn evenings set in. He jumped when he heard a low rumble, before realizing it was his stomach – he'd been gone long enough to be ready for dinner. Still, he wasn't in any hurry to get back to the lookout – he was dreading the reactions from the other pups.

As he drew closer to home, he heard a quiet buzzing noise. The sound grew louder and louder as Marshall began to worry. Suddenly, he saw a headlight in the distance driving down the road towards him. Frozen, he was unable to move from the road. He heard the screech of tires and brakes and braced for impact, but nothing happened. Too scared to open his eyes, he felt a pair of hands grab him and pull him into a tight embrace. He peeked open with one eye and looked into the face of a young man.

"Marshall, are you OK?" Ryder asked, concern in his voice.

"Ryder, what are you doing here?" Marshall answered, his voice cracking with emotion.

"Chase told me what happened earlier. He was unable to find you, but knew where you went. He led me here to you," Ryder responded, petting Marshall to calm him down. "It's OK. Let's go home and get some dinner."

"Th..thanks Ryder," Marshall sobbed, the emotions of the day catching up with the young Dalmatian pup. Ryder placed Marshall on the back of his ATV, where Chase grabbed Marshall with a paw, hugging him tightly.

"Marsh, I heard what the pups said. I can't believe they'd say those things. I was worried about you," Chase quietly told Marshall, hoping his friend would settle down.

Ryder slowly turned to his pups, scratching both of them. "Marshall, we'll deal with the rest of the pups later. Now, it's time to get you home."

Ryder buckled Marshall into the ATV while Chase held on to his back. The three of them drove off back towards the lookout. Marshall felt a little better, but he was still unable to shake that strange feeling from his mind.


	3. New Nightmares

_**A/N: Hey everyone! Finished Chapter 3 earlier than I thought, so decided I'd upload before the weekend. I'm going to be away for a couple days so no new updates here or new stories will be published.**_

 ** _I'm feeling so much better about the direction of this story than the last time. It's flowing a lot better and overall I'm much happier._**

 ** _Hope you're enjoying it so far!_**

* * *

The pup slowly opened his eyes, blinking away the searing pain of the bright light. He heard a quiet buzz of machinery surrounding him. Trying to sit up, he felt his paws shackled to the uncomfortable bed on which he was laying. Frightened, he looked up, catching the attention of some other dogs in the room.

"Oh, thank heavens! He's awake!" Marshall recognized the voie from across the room, hearing the sound of paws shuffling towards him before he was tightly embraced.

"Mom, dad, where am I?" Marshall asked in a hoarse voice, hugging his parents, whom he hadn't seen in months. "What happened to me?"

His parents glanced at each other with worried eyes before they answered him. "Marshall, what do you remember?" his mom questioned, a look of concern on her face.

Marshall closed his eyes and tried to think, but nothing was coming to the front of his mind. He slowly began to recall the kidnapping, the training, and the torture, " _and the criminal activities."_ He thought hung his head out of embarrassment. Then the last thing he remembered was leaving the compound. After that, it all went blank. He explained everything to his parents who began to tear up; they had their suspicions of where their son was, but they were unprepared for the truth.

It wasn't long before Marshall noticed the two unfamiliar faces in the room. A couple of shepherds sat next to each other, remaining quiet but watching the injured Dalmatian intently. He saw they were both in police uniforms, one was an adult Shepherd and the other just a pup. The pup was beginning to look restless but seemed to be trying to impress the older dog, causing Marshall to laugh.

"Mom, Dad, who are they?" Marshall asked quietly, nodding in the direction of the two police K9s. He could still feel the tight pull of the shackles on his legs, holding him to the bed like a prison. Dark thoughts began to flood Marshall's mind as he wondered why he was handcuffed. _"Did I hurt someone? What did I do. Did I…kill…"_ his thoughts were cut off as the shepherds were summoned to his bedside.

"Marshall, this is Officer Gunther and his apprentice and son, Chase," his father explained to him. "They are the ones who," his father gulped, locking eyes with his mother, who gave him a stern look, before continuing, "…found you…"

* * *

The ride back to the lookout gave Chase a long time to think, the memories of that trying time still fresh in his mind. He looked back to see the Dalmatian pup curled in a tight ball, fast asleep; the day had taken a large toll on Marshall. Chase noticed the Dalmatian was shaking and whimpering; he hoped Marshall wasn't sharing the same memories at this time. The sun was fully set by the time they returned to the lookout. The other pups were worried when they noticed Ryder, Chase, and Marshall missing. As Ryder pulled up to the front of the base, the other pups rushed out of the door, bombarding them with questions.

"Ryder, where were you?" Skye asked, worried for the team leader. She looked up to see Chase unbuckle Marshall and nudge him to jump off the ATV.

"Yeah, whewe were you guys?" Zuma wondered aloud. "You missed all of the Apollo episodes."

Rubble, who was still wearing his Apollo Super Pup mask, joined in next. "It's past dinner time. I'm hungry!" He looked up at Ryder with pleading eyes.

Rocky, the most astute pup, noticed the look on Ryder's face. He saw Chase help Marshall inside the lookout, before realizing what was happening. "Ryder, did Marshall run away?" Rocky asked, worried about his friend.

Ryder glared at all the pups. He had to discipline almost all the pups at least a time or two before, but those were usually petty fights or quarrels. This time it was different; none of the pups had ever been insulted by their teammates before, and it appeared they had little remorse. Ryder stopped and closed his eyes, breathing deeply to regain his composure. "Pups, let's go get dinner," he finally answered, before turning and walking through the lookout doors.

By this time, the rest of the pups sensed the disappointment from Ryder's voice and actions. They were perplexed, but quietly followed Ryder into the kitchen. Ryder grabbed the bag of pup food and nonchalantly filled each of their bowls, starting with Chase and Marshall. The pups ate in silence, avoiding the eyes of their leader. By the time they finished, Ryder was nowhere to be seen. The pups shared a few more silent glances before skulking off to their pup houses for the night.

* * *

"Faster, faster, god damnit!"

Marshall looked up to see a face he'd grown to loathe. The man, tall and lean with a short goatee on his chin, glared over at him, seething with anger. The Dalmatian pup had just completed the training course for the fifth time that morning, but it was never fast enough for Dominick. _"What do I have to do to please you,"_ he thought to himself. By that time, Dominick had approached Marshall, who was panting on the ground, exhausted.

"Stand up, you weak-ass excuse for a pup."

 ***THWACK***

The young pup was startled by the whip Dominick used to get his attention; the noise was louder than the pain it inflicted, but it still caused Marshall to yelp. He scurried to his feet, turning quickly to face Dominick.

"That's better. Now, you must complete the course one last time – and this time, you sure as hell better run faster. Otherwise, you know the punishment." Marshall winced, knowing exactly to what Dominick was alluding – he'd be forced to skip another meal. The pup could already feel his ribs from the starvation tactics used by Dominick; all of his puppy fat was burned off in the weeks since the kidnapping. Just the thought of food made his stomach growl – he hadn't eaten in two days. His mind and body were weary, but his drive and instincts carried him through. Marshall lined up and started again, weaving his way through obstacles, and leaping over and crawling under barriers before engaging dummies in combat. When he finished, he sulked over to Dominick, praying his time was quick enough.

"We're finished here. Let's go." Dominick sneered, leading Marshall back to the barracks; Marshall was given a closet with a small bed for sleep. He feared the worst, as Dominick did not tell him whether his time was fast enough. When Marshall arrived in his bedroom, he was given a small bowl of food and water – the dry pup food tasted better than anything he'd eaten before. He scarfed down the food rapidly, unable to control his primal instincts. When he was finished, Dominick grabbed the bowl and shuffled out of the room, leaving Marshall alone once again.

Those early nights alone were amongst the hardest for the young pup. He had been kidnapped from his family back home in Mainland. His mother, Ashe, was a top medical dog with the local hospital system and his father, Ajax, was the highest-ranking fire dog in the city. They all lived happily with the fire chief in the high-tech fire station downtown. Marshall was among the top fire-pups in the nation, scoring highest on all of his aptitude and skills testing. His instructors spoke very highly of the young Dalmatian, comparing him to the wunder-pup in Ironton who was among the top trainees in the police academy. Marshall had never met this pup, but he'd heard all the stories – the pup's father was the chief police dog in Ironton and credited with the capture of numerous dangerous criminals. He hoped they were searching for him.

The kidnapping haunted Marshall dearly. He still shuddered when he recalled that night – he was the pup-on-call for the fire station, tasked with assisting his father if a call came in throughout the evening. Rarely were the students called out on duty, as Mainland was a quiet, safe town. However, this night was unusual. It started out as a routine fire call, just a kitchen fire in a local apartment building. Ajax was quickly able to evacuate the residents from the building and identify the location of the fire. Since it was a small, controlled fire, and sensing the eagerness of his pup, he allowed Marshall to extinguish it without his help. Marshall succeeded quickly and was about to exit the building, when he was overtaken by a pair of strong hands, a chemical rendering him unconscious. Hours later he woke up here – in this hell-hole in which he now existed.

The following weeks were all a blur – the training sessions became harder and the mental torture became more and more grueling. Marshall was awakened at all hours of the night to train. Sometimes, he and Dominick ventured outside of the compound, engaging in petty theft and small acts of vandalism. Other times, he was forced to do physical sessions ranging from martial arts to breathing exercises underwater – he was forced to hold his breath until barely conscious. And his meals remained irregular as well – his famished body becoming more and more destitute by the day. Marshall's will and resolve began to crack, and he no longer fought the torture.

Soon, the training sessions had eased off a little bit and Dominick was feeding him on a regular basis. His strength and musculature returned, though he was a completely different pup – toned and athletic from the grueling exercises, though broken mentally. He no longer resented the man who kidnapped him and resolved to make him happy. One morning, he finally confronted the man who kidnapped him. That morning, Marshall stopped Dominick and demanded answers.

"Who are you, and why did you take me?" Marshall commanded, glaring up at Dominick.

The evil man sneered back at Marshall and laughed. "It's about time you asked me that question, pup. You've done very well in your sessions, so I will answer." Dominick took a seat in his office, allowing Marshall to join him.

"The name's Dominick Blackthorne. My name is well known in Ironton. I am responsible for the trafficking and delivery of heroin and other narcotics throughout the city. But no one knows who I really am. Recently, my two best henchmen were apprehended by the god damn fuzz, and I've been laying low ever since. In that time, I realized I needed a new sidekick and a new plan. And that's where you come in. I decided a pup will be better and bring less attention to himself than any person. That's why I brought you here, and that's why I've trained you. You will be my messenger and my second in command. I don't plan on having anyone visit this compound. If something needs to be said, you will carry that message. So far, you've done well, you bastard, but now, it gets even harder. You're going to have to learn lethal force and how to properly kill someone. If something goes wrong, it will be up to you to end it."

Those word haunted Marshall, though he was no longer the happy pup of months ago – he was a criminal and was willing to do anything to keep himself alive, even if that included taking someone else's.

Dominick increased the intensity and scope of Marshall's training in the next couple weeks. He no longer resorted to mental warfare, allowing Marshall to live outside the small barracks he had set up and meals were a regular occurrence. The pup progressed rapidly in his abilities; though the sessions were no longer about speed and agility. Marshall developed the skills needed to distribute illegal drugs throughout the city, even participating in small missions. Marshall grew farther and farther from his past. He was drafted into more dangerous missions and learned the secrets of the drug ring in Ironton, working with drug dealers and gang members throughout town.

As Marshall grew stronger, Dominick's plans grew larger and larger. Soon, the evil man concocted a plan to rob a bank. The plans were laid and Marshall was readied – Dominick dyed Marshall's fur black as a disguise, as both of them had heard rumblings of a Dalmatian causing havoc throughout the city. Dominick even joined Marshall to complete their goal. Everything was going to plan until an alarm sounded. The last thing Marshall remembered was a searing pain on the back of his head and the eyes of two German Shepherds in front of him.

* * *

The frequent trips to court were still fresh in Marshall's mind – he was spared the harshest of sentences by cooperating in the investigation. He was absolved of the majority of the crimes due to coercion and torture, though he was forced to participate in mental and emotional counselling and spent a few months in the pound.

Dominick, however, was prosecuted to the full extent of the law – kidnapping, abuse, grand larceny, and drug trafficking, though the latter was eventually dropped due to lack of evidence. Dominick was sentenced to twenty years in prison and probation for life – he would never be allowed outside of Ironton again. As he was led out of the courtroom in handcuffs, he glared at the jury, hissing, "I will be back for my revenge. Mark my words, you son of a bitch. Dominick Blackthorne will rise with fury!"

* * *

Marshall snapped awake, his heart pounding and sweat covering his body, the nightmares once again overtaking his mind and body. _It was all just a dream…but why now?_ He thought the nightmares were over; Marshall struggled through the first couple months at the lookout but eventually the bad dreams faded. He arose slowly and opened the door to his pup house, revealing the darkness of night; a full moon shone bright over the Adventure Bay skyline. Needing to clear his mind, Marshall walked over to the hill, laying down and staring out over the bay. He still couldn't shake the uneasy feeling he'd had since that morning.

 _*Crunch*_

Marshall jumped, as he heard a stick snap behind him. Frightened, he slowly turned around to see the face of a shepherd pup staring back at him.

"Chase, what are you doing awake?" Marshall whispered, breathing hard to regain control of his heart rate. "You scared me."

Chase walked over to his friend and put his paw on his back. "Are you OK, Marshall?" He asked with a concerned voice. "I heard noises coming from your pup house. When the noises stopped, I went to check on you but you weren't there. I thought you ran away again."

Marshall leaned into Chase, the anxiety of the day flowing out of him as he began to cry. Chase held his best friend closer, allowing him to sob freely into his shoulder. The two pups sat there for minutes, until Marshall stopped crying.

"Chase, I'm scared. I've had this strange feeling all day…and then the pups turned on me earlier today. And then I had _that_ dream…" Marshall sniffed.

Chase recognized immediately what Marshall was talking about. "Marshall, he's locked up. There's nothing to worry about. And Ryder told me he'll deal with the pups tomorrow. Let's get some sleep." Chase calmly responded, nudging his friend back towards the pup houses. The two pups slowly walked back to the lookout, Marshall feeling slightly better from Chase's words, though he knew, deep down, something wasn't right.

* * *

The prison guards were close to completing their 2 AM patrol. Everything was quiet along the corridors; all the criminals appeared to be sleeping. As they turned the corner heading down the final hallway, something caught their eye. They rushed to the cell at the end of the hallway and peered inside. Shining a flashlight at the bed, they sighed, realizing it was a false alarm. Pleased with their job, they headed back to the office, ready for a cup of coffee and some rest. They failed to notice the pair of eyes hiding in the shadows; the guards were in for a long night.

* * *

 _ **A/N: That's it for now! Hope you enjoyed chapter 3 Of Flames and Fury! See ya later!**_


	4. Punishments

_**A/N: Hey all, here's Chapter 4 Of Flames and Fury. Hope you all enjoy! I'm hoping to have Chapter 5 done by this weekend. Haven't gotten far enough in any of my other ideas to start a new story, but they will be here soon.**_

 _ **Thanks for all the great feedback and reviews, I greatly appreciate it! Until next time, enjoy Chapter 4!**_

* * *

Chase arose early in the morning, part of his usual routine. He slowly stood up, stretching out his tight muscles and joints before meandering out of his pup house. The stress of the previous day caused a lot of tension for the shepherd pup. The sun was beginning to peak over the trees in the yard of the lookout. Chase glanced around briefly, not seeing any of the other pups awake. He strolled over to the red fire truck pup house, where he saw the Dalmatian pup sleeping peacefully. _"I'll let him sleep for a little while longer; who knows what other kinds of nightmares he had last night,"_ Chase thought to himself as he walked into the lookout.

Inside the lookout, Ryder was finishing up his breakfast and playing on his pup pad. Ryder always woke up before the pups, even Chase, whom was tasked with waking the rest of the pups. On most mornings, Chase and Ryder had a morning conversation before the rest of the team woke up. Ryder glanced up from his tablet to see the Shepherd pup wander into the living room.

"Good morning, Chase. Did you sleep alright?" Ryder asked, standing up to walk over to his pup.

"Yes, Ryder, sir. Thanks for asking," Chase answered, before turning away from Ryder. "Ryder, sir, when are we going to talk to the rest of the PAW Patrol about their behavior yesterday?" Chase asked, his voice wavering.

Ryder stopped to think for a few seconds; he was dreading that moment but knew Marshall deserved some justice. He sat down on a bean bag in the living room and invited Chase to jump on his lap. He started to scratch the police pup behind the ear while continuing to think.

"Chase, I think I'm going to call the PAW Patrol to the command center this morning before breakfast," Ryder eventually answered. "I don't want you to tell them anything. Try to make the morning as normal as possible. I'll let you all finish yoga and then call you in. OK." Ryder pet Chase on the head after explaining his plan.

"Yes sir, Ryder, sir," Chase answered, jumping down from Ryder's lap, his tail wagging. "Thank you."

Chase smiled back at Ryder as he walked out of the lookout, ready to wake the rest of the pups. Ryder sighed and stood up. He never had to discipline his pups for actions as bad as yesterday. He cleaned up the rest of his breakfast and walked up to the top of the lookout to prepare himself for the mission.

Chase wandered over to Marshall's pup house and shook his buddy awake, sparing him from the normal megaphone treatment. Marshall slowly blinked his eyes open, noticing the shepherd standing over him. "I'm up, I'm up!" the Dalmatian murmured, stumbling out of his pup house, causing Chase to chuckle.

"Thanks, Chase," Marshall continued, giving Chase a friendly lick on the cheek.

Chase patted his friend on the back before barking out his megaphone. Walking to the middle of the driveway, he began to wake the rest of the pups. The other pups groaned as the voice of the shepherd blared through the peaceful morning. They groggily staggered out of their pup houses and joined Chase and Marshall under the live oak to begin morning yoga. The pups stretched their muscles and completed the morning routine, awake and alert. Their minds were clear and they were ready for the day. The pups did not notice Ryder watching from the lookout observation deck. As soon as they finished their session, Ryder pulled out his pup pad and called out to the PAW Patrol.

"PAW Patrol, to the lookout!" Ryder commanded.

The pups responded, dashing towards the lookout doors. Miraculously, Marshall arrived in the elevator before everyone. To his astonishment, the rest of the pups filed in without a collision. Marshall gazed around, confused, but the rest of the pups were too focused to notice. The elevator slowly made its way to the top floor, stopping momentarily behind the PAW symbol. The pups eventually arrived at the top floor and leapt out, joining Ryder in front of the large screen in the lookout command center. They were all wearing their mission headwear but not their pup packs. Mildly confused, five of the pups looked at each other before Chase barked out his call, lifting his front left paw in salute: "PAW Patrol, ready for action, Ryder, sir!"

Ryder glanced over at Chase and Marshall before sternly glaring at his pups standing in line. He still couldn't believe the things they said about Marshall the previous day. _"Where did I go wrong…"_ he thought to himself, wondering what caused the pups to turn on a friend like that. He slowly gazed back and forth at the pups. They were beginning to feel nervous; they'd never seen such an angry look on Ryder's face.

After giving the pups a short time to think, Ryder finally spoke. "Pups, I think you know why I called you here this morning," he said, using a tone none of the pups had heard before. They were all frozen in place; not a single pup uttered a word. Ryder sighed; he was ashamed the pups were so oblivious to their treatment of Marshall. _"Do they have any remorse?"_ He thought, before continuing.

"Four of you did something yesterday that was deplorable; you insulted and disgraced a teammate," Ryder followed, noticing the color drain from the faces of the pups, including Marshall. The Dalmatian began to shake, tears falling from his eyes. Chase walked over and stood next to his friend, separating him from the other four pups. Ryder shot Chase a weak smile before his face turned serious again.

"Skye, Rocky, Rubble, and Zuma. I heard what you said yesterday. Do you realize how bad you hurt Marshall?" Ryder scolded, his voice growing louder. The four pups cowered in fear; they began to understand the seriousness of their actions. None of them had ever seen Ryder as angry as he was at this moment; they were unable to look him in the eyes.

"You caused your team-mate enough pain to run away!" Ryder continued, glancing down at his pups. He realized none of them were looking at him.

"Look at me, right now, God Damnit!" he screamed, causing the pups to jump. The pups had never heard Ryder use language like that before and they were scared. Slowly, they raised their heads to look at their leader, his face turning redder and redder as his anger boiled. By this time, Marshall had completely lost it, his face buried deep in Chase's chest; the feelings of yesterday and the stresses of his nightmares coupled with Ryder's behavior taking its toll. Ryder suddenly noticed the Dalmatian and took a deep breath, realizing the pain he was now causing Marshall.

Ryder collected his thoughts and continued addressing his team. "Thank you. Now that all of you remember your actions yesterday, it is time for your punishment. The four of you are forbidden from playing any games, including Pup Pup Boogie, for the next two weeks. Each of you will be in bed by 7 PM at night for the next two weeks as well. And you are suspended from the PAW Patrol for three days. I will be calling in Everest to fill in for you. Please give me your collars," Ryder ordered. The four pups were frozen in their spots; no pup had ever been suspended from the PAW Patrol before, and now four of them were removed. They were petrified by Ryder's voice and unable to move.

"I said, _give me your fucking collars,"_ Ryder growled. He loathed having to use vulgar language with his pups, but he was in no mood to be disobeyed. "Now!"

The four pups ripped their collars from their necks and tossed them at Ryder's feet. They began to cry; the remorse of their behavior and their fear of their leader catching up with them. Ryder gathered the four collars and slipped them in his pocket. He looked over at Chase, who gave him a stern and solemn look. _"Did I over-react?"_ Ryder thought to himself as walked towards the elevator. Marshall continued to cry into Chase's fur as Chase consoled his dejected best friend. The four other pups just stared blankly at the command screen. Ryder entered the elevator and began his descent, before slamming his pup pad into the ground, smashing it into pieces.

By the time all of the pups made it down the elevator, Ryder had already filled their bowls for breakfast; even though he was disappointed in them he still cared for them deeply. They sulked over to their meals and ate in silence, barely lifting their heads to look at each other. Chase pushed his bowl next to Marshall, as the Dalmatian continued to sob silently. He nudged Marshall in the shoulder and urged him to eat breakfast.

"Did you hear, buddy?" he whispered to Marshall. "Everest is coming over later."

Marshall's ears perked up at Chase's comment; the shepherd knew Marshall had a crush on their snow rescue friend. Chase swore he saw a smile from Marshall and a small tail wag, as the Dalmatian finally ate his breakfast.

As the pups finished their morning meal, they walked out into the warm sun of another beautiful Adventure Bay day, but there was no desire to enjoy it. Marshall wandered over to the hill and sat under the large oak tree, staring out over the city. The rest of the pups retreated to their pup houses, scared of Ryder's reaction and still in disbelief over their punishment. Chase remained outside his pup house until the other pups disappeared inside theirs, before wandering over to the bridge in the yard. He laid his head down and just stared at Marshall, hoping his friend was feeling better. Before long, all of the pups were fast asleep; the stress and sadness leading to exhaustion.

* * *

The guards finished their patrol and were walking back to the break room. One of them turned to the other and shot him a small smile; he was ready to grab a cup of coffee and head home. His partner would be finishing the rest of the patrol. He gasped when he realized his colleague was no longer beside him. He turned back, squinting down the hall to see in the dim light. He thought he could make out a figure at the end of the hall. _"Hmm, he must have gone back for something,"_ the guard thought to himself. He slowly wandered back towards the cell at the end of the hall to rejoin his partner. As he approached the final cell, his colleague was no where to be seen.

Worried, he turned around and began to look for him, but suddenly, he felt a strong hand over his mouth and an arm around his neck. He struggled to scream for help but it was no use; the arm around his neck squeezed tighter and tighter as he began to slip out of consciousness. Just before he passed out, he saw a lifeless figure on the ground in the cell; his partner was laying in a pool of blood. As his life slipped away, he felt a sharp blade at the side of his neck. Too petrified to scream at this point, he heard a whisper in his ear, "Sleep well, you son of a bitch," as his captor sliced the jugular vein in his neck. The guard slumped to the ground, gagging once, before succumbing to the rapid loss of blood.

The prisoner snatched the keys from the belt of one of the second guard and undressed him, changing into his uniform before piling them both under a blanket in his cell. "Nighty night, you bastards," he whispered quietly as he laughed, walking away down the hall. He pulled the cap down over his eyes and walked through the cafeteria and into the guard's quarters. "Have a good morning, Harold," he heard the captain call as he walked out of the office.

The fresh air hit him immediately; he was free. After three long years in prison, his plan finally worked. Three years of tracking the exact movements of the guards. Three years of gaining the friendship and trust of his other cell mates. The prisoner was a free man. He grabbed the automobile keys he gleaned from the prison guard and quickly found his getaway car. He knew he had to get away fast and hide; the police will discover the carnage within the next couple hours. He knew exactly where he needed to go first to get away, but he had one other thing on his mind: revenge. He accelerated out of the parking lot, scanning the ID card as he tipped his cap to the security guard at the gate.

* * *

Marshall snapped awake under the hot early afternoon sun. He was shaking uncontrollably and sweating profusely. He looked up to see the worried face of a shepherd next to him.

"Are you OK, Marshall?" Chase asked, worried about his friend. "You were thrashing and screaming in your sleep."

Marshall felt uneasiness in the pit of his stomach; the same feeling from yesterday was still bugging him. "Chase, something feels wrong," Marshall answered, his voice quivering in fear.

Chase walked up to his friend and put a paw on his back. "Of course, something feels wrong. There are four members of the PAW Patrol suspended," Chase responded, trying to make Marshall feel better.

"No, Chase. Something else. I haven't had nightmares like this for years. Something just isn't right. I know it." Marshall replied, trying to explain his intuition to Chase. Before either of them could continue, the four other pups approached them, looking less than pleased with the fire and police pup.

"Thanks a lot, Marshall," Rubble scoffed at the Dalmatian pup. "Because of you we're suspended from the PAW Patrol."

"Yeah, dude. Why would you tell Wyder?" Zuma added, angrily. "I think we need to take you out of the PAW Patrol for thwee days too."

Rocky, Rubble, and Zuma approached Marshall, anger showing in their eyes. Skye began to approach Marshall as well, but stopped when she saw a look from Chase. "Guys, don't you think we should leave Marshall alone? I mean, what we said was really hurtful," Skye tried reasoning with the other pups, not wanting to upset Chase.

"I think he needs to learn a lesson," Rocky replied. As the three pups approached Marshall, he broke into tears again. Just as the pups were about to pounce, Chase jumped in front of them, growling and activating his pup tag.

"Marshall didn't tell Ryder anything. I did," Chase snarled angrily. "If any of you so much as law a paw on him, you will pay. Now step back and get the hell away from him." Chase began to walk towards the other pups, ready to block any attacks on Marshall. None of the pups broke the stare; they were ready to fight. At that moment, Ryder came running from the lookout, hearing the entire situation from Chase's pup tag.

"Pups, did you hear anything I said this morning?" Ryder yelled again, causing the pups to cower in fear. "I want all of you to go to your pup houses, now, including you, Chase."

"But Ryder, sir…" Chase started, before Ryder cut him off. "Chase, I applaud you for standing up for Marshall, but I need you to go to your pup house as well."

Chase huffed, but followed the other four pups to their houses. Marshall began to follow them, but was stopped by Ryder.

"Marshall, how are you feeling?" Ryder asked with a concerned voice. "I'm sorry for startling you with my behavior this morning; I lost my cool. But I was ashamed of the other pups. I promise to control my anger better in the future."

Marshall looked at Ryder with a small smile. The leader sat down on the grass and called Marshall over to him. The Dalmatian sat down beside Ryder and put his head on his legs. The two sat there for a few minutes before Marshall spoke.

"Ryder, the nightmares have come back," Marshall started. Ryder looked at the pup with concern on his face – he recalled the debilitating nature of the nightmares in Marshall's early days at the lookout.

"But that's not all – I've had this weird feeling for the last couple days, like something isn't right," Marshall continued. "I just can't put a paw on it. I think I need to forgive the other pups; maybe that's what's eating at me. Can you call them all in to the lookout soon?"

Ryder scratched his pup behind the ear; he admired the positive attitude the fire pup always had. Through anything, his friends always came first.

"Sounds good Marshall. You are a really good pup," Ryder answered. "Let's go to the lookout. Everest will be arriving soon."

Marshall leapt up hearing Everest's name and ran into the lookout. _"Ha ha, I didn't know that just the mention of her name would get that big of a reaction from him,"_ Ryder thought to himself, chasing after Marshall into the lookout. As they approached the front doors, Ryder's replacement pup pad rang. He checked it and answered the call.

"Hello, Ryder here," he said.

"Hello, Ryder, sir. It's Gunther," Chase's father responded.

"Oh, hey Gunther, would you like to speak with Chase?" Ryder replied, ready to call his police pup into the lookout.

"Maybe later, sir. But that's not the reason I called," Gunther answered, his face turning serious. As Gunther explained the reason for the call, Ryder just about dropped his pup pad. His heart skipped a beat when he saw the happy face of his Dalmatian pup in the lookout. _"His intuition was spot on…"_ Ryder thought to himself, as he readied himself for another hard conversation.


	5. Three Years

_**A/N: Hey all! Here's Chapter 5 Of Flames and Fury.**_

 _ **Just a quick chapter this time - kind of an interlude before the next part starts. Wanted to make sure I got this up for you this weekend so you can enjoy.**_

 _ **Hope you are all enjoying so far. I will try to get the next chapter by this upcoming weekend. I also have an idea of my next story - it came to me over the weekend. I haven't started it yet but I have some ideas jotted down. I think you are all going to like it.**_

 _ **Reviews:**_

 _ **V-Dawg: I think you'll see some remorse from the 4 other pups in the upcoming chapters. They still have no idea what is going on, but we'll see what happens when they are truly needed.**_

 _ **EoS: Thanks for all the feedback and reviews!**_

 _ **Not-So-Ultimate Writer: I think there will be some changes to the punishment going forward, I have a feeling ;).**_

 _ **Thanks again for all your reads and reviews! Enjoy this short chapter and be on the lookout for more!**_

* * *

Three years. To some, it may seem like an eternity. To others, just a brief wrinkle in time. But to someone with a 20-year prison sentence, three years was exactly what he needed. Yes, the monotony of life in solitude normally drains a man of his soul. But Dominick Blackthorne was soulless from the start. His mind barely wavered; Dominick used all the time spent alone planning his escape.

His first couple months in prison were a slight blur; all he could think about was his failure. No, he didn't blame himself, but Dominick still wondered how he could have missed the signs from his partner. The pup he trained, tortured, and convinced that a life of crime was the way for him turned so suddenly; all it took was the fear of authority to change him from a savage criminal to a whimpering puppy. He only hoped the shot to the head put the pup out of his own misery; there was no point in living a life as a coward.

He thought back to their early days together. He spent months scouring cities across the landscape for the perfect partner, until he aptly 'stumbled' upon the one. Dominick had 'discovered' Marshall at the pup academy in Mainland, luring the pup away with a fake rescue and snatching him, before bringing him back to Ironton. He was amazed at how easy it was. Marshall was the star pup at the academy, and Dominick knew he'd do anything to make himself stand out. All it took was a faux fire and an eager pup, and Dominick claimed his prize.

Dominick realized he needed the best. The drug rings in Ironton were among the most dangerous in the country, and he needed as much help as he could get. The pup resisted the training at first; refusing to follow the commands of his new master. But Dominick was relentless and the mental torture took its toll. Marshall became a savage fighter, heeding all of the instructions Dominick insisted. They became an inseparable and unbeatable team and quickly rose the ladder to the top of the narcotics gangs in Ironton. Occasionally, they were forced to maim, and even kill, druggies and gang members in town, though the police were oblivious to the underground murder network of the drug lords. But all of their successes changed that one fateful night, a night Dominick refused to forget.

As the years progressed in the slammer, Dominick was ready to leave captivity. He knew from the beginning that he'd have to sacrifice a few years in prison, and three years felt perfect. He quickly made friends with the prison guards, engaging them and gaining their trust. He learned all about their schedules, their patrols, and their duties, as well as their lives outside the prison. He was still as savvy as he was before prison.

Dominick rarely had visitors, though he maintained contact with a pen-pal outside the prison. He routinely wrote letters and notes, mailing them frequently to this unknown acquaintance. However, he never received a piece of mail in return. This puzzled the prison employees, unbeknownst to them it was exactly as Dominick requested.

As the trust and friendship between prisoner and guards grew, the guards allowed Dominick to leave his cell on a regular basis. He joined them on nightly patrols and became a member of the inmate council – a group of prisoners tasked with discipline of fellow inmates. His good behavior was rewarded with enhanced freedom outside of his cell. He even volunteered in the prison cafeteria, serving his fellow inmates and cleaning their mess each and every evening. The guards also allowed him to join for card games after the other prisoners retreated to their cells for the night.

One evening, Dominick was able to sneak the key ring off the belt of the head guard. He removed the sole key he needed, and planted the key ring in the possession of another inmate. Dominick rejoined the patrol and helped 'find' the missing key ring, knowing exactly where it was located. The guards rewarded Dominick with even more freedom and responsibility; his plan was working perfectly.

The next couple weeks were quiet in solitary confinement. Dominick decided to take a break from the prison patrol. The guards still visited him on a nightly basis, always meeting him near his cell at the same time. He was able to sneak a paring knife from the prison kitchen, wrapping it in a dish cloth and bringing it back to his cell. He was able to hide the weapon in his cell without trouble since the guards rarely inspected his living quarters. He also began to collect bath towels, concealing them in his cell as well. The time was drawing near for him to enact his escape plan.

When the time finally arrived, Dominick piled the towels under his comforter in the shape of a sleeping body. He unwrapped the paring knife and buried it deep within his prison fatigues. He grabbed the key to his cell and unlocked the door, sneaking out and hiding within the dark shadows of the prison corridor. He silently slid the door closed, leaving it unlocked for easy access. Dominick anxiously awaited the arrival of the guards; they would be completing their rounds within the next few minutes. He could hear the quiet shuffle of their boots as they approached the end of the cell block.

 _Stomp. Stomp. Stomp. Stomp._

Dominick held his breath, praying the guards wouldn't notice him concealed in the shadows just beyond the hallway.

 _Stomp. Stomp. Stomp._

The footsteps stopped at the final cell; the guards were content with their patrol. As the lead officer turned around to head in for the night, Dominick tapped the shoulder of the other guard. The guard spun around, startled, and was overtaken immediately. Dominick squeezed him around the neck and mouth, strangling him, before slashing his throat with the paring knife. The guard immediately slumped in Dominick's arms, his eyes full of terror before glazing over, gasping once last time before his brain shut down. Dominick quickly laid the lifeless body in his cell, returning to the shadows to await the other guard.

When the other guard realized his partner was no longer with him, he shuffled back towards the end of the hall. Upon reaching the final cell, the guard gazed around, confused, before Dominick seized him too around the neck. The guard struggled for a few moments before Dominick sliced his neck, laying him next to his fallen partner.

Dominick quickly gathered the guard's ID, key ring, and car keys. He disrobed the guard, rapidly changing into the uniform before making his way down the hall and into the officers' quarters. "Nighty night, you bastards," he whispered quietly as he laughed, walking away down the hall. He pulled the cap down over his eyes and walked through the cafeteria and into the guard's quarters. "Have a good morning, Harold," he heard the captain call as he walked out of the office. He grabbed the automobile keys he gleaned from the prison guard and quickly found his getaway car. He accelerated out of the parking lot, scanning the ID card as he tipped his cap to the security guard at the gate.

Dominick understood he had about five hours to make a getaway; the early morning wake-up call in the prison would lead to a grisly discovery. He silently hoped his planning had worked. In each of his letters, he explicitly laid out the parameters of his escape. He became more and more anxious as he approached the scenic waypoint along the mountainous highway; he had no way of knowing if his instructions were received. After an hour of driving, he pulled off the highway and found the obscure waypoint. The sun was still hours from rising, but he only had a few more hours to get away.

As Dominick rounded the final bend, he saw headlights at the end of the road. He deliberately approached the parked vehicle, stopping his own car at the end of the drive. He exited his ride and walked over to the awaiting car. He knocked three times on the side window. _"I hope to fucking God this is the right car,"_ Dominick thought to himself, impatiently awaiting the driver's response.

The tinted window slowly slid down. Dominick did not dare to glance at the face of the driver. He held out his hand and waited. Suddenly, he felt a pair of sunglasses in his palm. _"God dammit, it worked!"_ he silently celebrated, making sure to temper his excitement. He looked over at the driver, who smiled back at him, handing him a set of clothes. Dominick quickly changed out of the guard uniform, throwing the bloodied mess into the trunk of his stolen getaway vehicle. He rushed around to the passenger side of the car and hopped in. Without saying a word, the driver sped off. Dominick could only smile; his three-year plan had worked.


	6. The Past is Back

_**A/N: Hey all, back with Chapter 6. Thanks for all the great feedback and success on this story. Five chapters in and we were already above 1000 views! Please keep reading and coming back with any feedback.**_

 _ **I hope to start in on my next story soon. I have great faith that it will be successful and enjoyable. I will also try to get a few one-shots done for my one-shot collection (that only has 1 story so far). Be on the lookout!**_

 _ **I hope you enjoy Chapter 6. It contains a bit more action than the last chapter and is much longer as well. I wanted to wrap up as much of what I consider Part 1 in this chapter, as the next couple will start to move into a different direction.**_

 _ **I hope you all enjoy!**_

* * *

"Chase, can you join me in the lookout?" Ryder called to the German Shepherd pup through his pup tag. "Meet me on the second floor."

"Yes sir, Ryder, sir," Chase responded. Chase wondered what the leader wanted, as he was sent to his pup house only a few minutes prior. _"Hopefully I'm not in big trouble, too,"_ he thought to himself as he rushed to the top of the lookout. The PAW Patrol was already bare bones with four pups suspended; losing the team leader would be a disaster. Upon arriving in the control center, he recognized his father on the screen in front of him.

"Oh, hello father, sir. Do you need something?" Chase greeted Gunther with a bark and a smile, relieved he wasn't in trouble. He was slightly confused, though, as he wasn't expecting a phone call for at least a week. The two shepherds spoke regularly and always on a routine schedule. They were an extremely close pair ever since the loss of Chase's mother. Gunther had nothing but pride for Chase's excellence in the police academy and the PAW Patrol; he was ecstatic that Chase was Ryder's first choice as team lead of the pups.

Gunther allowed himself a brief smile. His son was a spitting image of the adult shepherd and everyone knew Chase would follow in his father's footsteps.

"Chase, pup. It's good to see you," Gunther responded, before his faced turned serious once again. "I'd recommend you sit down for this."

Now Chase was worried once again. _"What did Ryder tell my father?"_ he wondered, fearing the worst. _"I am going to be suspended, too, aren't I?"_

"Father, sir, is everything alright?" Chase asked worriedly. His tail slipped between his legs and his ears pinned back. "Ryder, sir, I'm sorry for earlier today," Chase apologized, hoping he'd be forgiven for his outburst.

"Ryder, do you want to explain, or should I?" Gunther wondered aloud, looking at the leader of the PAW Patrol.

"I think it would be better if you told Chase," Ryder answered. "You know a lot more about this than I do."

Chase looked back and forth between his father and Ryder. He was even more confused now, but before he could say anything, Gunther began to speak. He took a deep breath and looked at his son. The sad look in his eyes was one Chase had seen only once before – when his mother passed.

"Chase, son. You remember our first major case together, correct?" Gunther addressed his son. Chase recalled his latter days in training – the first thing coming to his mind was the night he discovered Marshall – his first case involved his future best friend.

"Yes, father, sir. I remember it clearly," Chase answered. "Marshall has been suffering from nightmares again recently. It's impossible to forget."

" _Why would he be asking me about this?"_ Chase wondered. _"It's been bothering Marshall lately, but why is he bringing it up?"_

Gunther continued, "Chase. We received word this morning that Dominick Blackthorne escaped from prison. He killed two prison guards and used their credentials to leave the prison. The state police haven't had any sightings or contact with him since. They are working hard, searching for any clues. But I needed to tell you before Marshall finds out."

At this point, Chase could no longer stand. His legs collapsed, sending his body crashing to the floor and he started to shake. His emotions were running wild; Marshall's intuition was correct – he knew something was wrong before anyone told him. He felt Ryder's hand against his back, petting him to soothe the worried pup.

"Damnit. No, you've got to be freaking kidding me," Chase whispered to his father. "This cannot be happening."

"Son! Please don't use language like that," Gunther chided Chase, though he could sense the fear and uncertainty in the voice of his pup.

"Sorry, father, sir. Those words just slipped out," Chase muttered, embarrassed to lose his cool in front of his dad. He stood back up, his tail now tucked between his legs.

"Don't worry, Chase," Ryder comforted his pup, petting Chase on the head, "It's no worse than what I said to the other pups this morning."

The three leaders continued to talk for a few minutes, trying to sort out their next action steps. They knew they needed to speak with Marshall before talking to the rest of the team; though they realized the entire team would be needed in the near future. And they needed to prepare.

"Chase, pup. I know this is a lot to take in. I think you should go rest for a little bit. You need to clear your head and get ready for what's next. We will talk to Marshall later," Gunther said to Chase.

"Yes, father, sir. That sounds good. I love you," Chase answered, turning away from the screen and heading out of the lookout.

"Love you too, pup," Gunther responded, watching his son head out. _"I have no idea how Marshall is going to take this,"_ Gunther thought to himself.

Gunther and Ryder continued their discussion as Chase left the top floor. He made his way down the elevator and out the sliding glass doors. He saw Marshall watching television in the living room of the lookout with Everest. The Dalmatian pup was smiling and laughing at the show, his happiness back once again. _"I'm sorry, Marshall,"_ Chase thought to himself as he walked to his pup house. He walked inside his room and laid down, being overcome by the stress. He was asleep in minutes, though his mind continued to race.

* * *

"Another award! Son, I'm so proud of you!" Gunther beamed, his only pup showing off a certificate from the police academy. "Your mother would be so proud."

Chase quickly fought back a tear but continued to smile – the memory of his mother was still a tough subject for the young police pup to bear. Chase wished she was there to celebrate all his successes; he still couldn't accept that she was gone. He knew she was watching them, but it still wasn't easy for Chase to carry on. Today, though, he completed one of the toughest courses in school as the lead pup in the academy – breaking many of his father's records as he finished.

Gunther had been the chief police dog in Ironton since his graduation many years prior – Chase was born in the city and lived with the chief of police his entire life. From a young age Chase demonstrated high aptitude, and was drafted into the exclusive academy in Ironton. The police pup academy in Ironton is considered one of the top pup academies in the country, rivaled only by the fire pup school in Mainland.

As graduation grew nearer, Chase started to dream about his first job. He knew he wanted to work as a police investigation pup, but didn't have any idea where he'd live. To gain more experience, he served as an apprentice under his father before he finished his courses. Somewhat ironically, Ironton was very well-known for its crime rate even with the top police academy in the country; numerous gangs ran underground narcotics rings throughout the city. The majority of the crime, though, lead back to one person: Dominick Blackthorne. No cop had ever run across this shadowy man, though his reputation landed him on the top of the most-wanted list in the city. Gunther and the police chief worked each and every day to gather more information, though Dominick remained elusive.

As Chase continued to progress in his training, his father and the police chief allowed him to participate in low-level apprehensions, like simple robbery or trespassing. He excelled at these skills, gaining more and more trust from the leaders of the police force in the city. During this time, Chase caught wind of an elite fire pup at the school in Mainland – this pup was considered their top trainee in years. Chase hoped he would meet this pup one day, as he had few friends in the city. However, the pup mysteriously disappeared just months before he was set to graduate; he was kidnapped while fighting a suspicious small fire during his own apprenticeship.

The police chief in Mainland contacted Ironton's department to fill them in on the situation; Gunther, Chase, and the chief visited Mainland to meet with the pup's parents and offer as much help as possible. Few clues were found at the site, but rumors lead back to Dominick Blackthorne and his gangs throughout Ironton.

As Chase neared completion of school, his father allowed him to participate in more dangerous cases. He joined Gunther in the apprehension and arrests of numerous gang members. These members shared knowledge with Gunther and Chase about a mysterious figure. Talk of the drug gangs began to focus on a pup working as a messenger and mercenary throughout the bowels of the city; word quickly spread that this pup was skilled and dangerous. His description resembled the pup from Mainland except for his fur color – this pup was jet black, while the fire pup was a spotted Dalmatian.

Since Gunther and Chase were considered the top police investigation team in Ironton, they were eventually assigned the task of apprehending and interrogating this rogue pup; all of the other duties were delegated to the rest of the force. They would assist as needed with other cases, but their focus remained directed on Dominick Blackthorne. The pair of shepherds worked tirelessly day and night, scoping out and investigating any lead. However, the trail always seemed to end; no one dared assist the authorities in their quest to capture Dominick Blackthorne.

As the weeks progressed, the crimes grew worse and worse. Though there was no direct evidence, rumors spread that this pup was willing to kill if necessary – low level members of the drug rings went missing and others relayed information about this pup. Gunther and Chase were driven to find this pup; they hoped he wasn't acting on his own free will. Chase knew exactly how the missing pup's parents felt – losing his mother was the hardest thing he'd ever gone through. He couldn't imagine, though, not knowing if this pup was OK.

One night, Chase and Gunther were finishing their patrol when they heard the loud screech of an alarm across town. Since they were done with their duties, they radioed the chief before investigating the sound. They approached the outskirts of town and were shocked with what they saw – a man and a pup robbing a bank. When they approached the pair, Chase took care of the pup while Gunther apprehended the man. Chase growled at the pup and then saw the fear in his eyes – his blue eyes. He suddenly recognized this was the fire pup from Mainland, though his fur was dyed jet black. The pup surrendered to the police, but the man did not. Gunther growled at the man, telling him to get down. Chase kept his focus on the pup, hoping Gunther would be able to convince the man to stand down. There were a few long moments of silence. Suddenly, the man lunged towards Chase and the pup and the silence was instantly broken.

 ***THWACK***

...Chase sprung awake – the loud sound of metal on bone in his nightmare stirring him from his mid-day nap. He sat up and breathed deeply to slow his racing heart. That fateful moment still haunted Chase to this day. He realized the severity of the situation and knew they needed the entire team. The PAW Patrol needed to put their differences aside and work together – it would be a long ride.

* * *

After five hours, the silent car ride came to an end. Dominick barely gazed at the driver of the car; the man was hired by his "pen pal" to deliver the criminal to his new hideout. The driver had no idea with whom he was traveling – and Dominick made sure to keep it that way. Dominick remained in contact solely with this mysterious person while in prison – the only remaining tie to his past in Ironton. He knew he wouldn't be able to return to the city where he once lived, as the police and citizens would recognize him immediately. Instead, he chose a town over 300 miles away – Coastal Plains. Here, he would be able to hide out for a while, unrecognized by the town's residents.

The driver turned slowly into a driveway in front of a small bungalow. There was a single car parked out front. Dominick opened the car door and stepped out, tipping his cap to the driver; as long as Dominick's instructions were followed the driver was paid handsomely for his work. The driver handed Dominick a single key and drove away, leaving little evidence he'd ever been present – for all he knew he was dropping off a tourist for a beach vacation. Dominick climbed the few stairs to the front door of the little house. He knocked three times before using the key to unlock the door and let himself inside.

The house was bare-bones, consisting of a small kitchen and living room connected to two bedrooms and a bathroom by a narrow hallway. It was furnished with two upright leather chairs, a round kitchen table, and two full-size beds, one in each bedroom. Sitting on one of the chairs was a young man, short in stature with a crew-cut. He stood up and shook the escaped convict's hand, firmly grasping it while patting him on the back.

"It's good to see you, boss," the young man said with a smile, as Dominick gestured for him to sit back down.

"Likewise, Brandon. I assume you took good care of the driver, per my request?" Dominick responded, taking a seat in the other chair. He leaned back, rubbing his fingers along his goatee, relishing the comfort of his new surroundings.

"Yes sir, I made sure all of your orders were followed word-for-word," Brandon responded. The young man stood up and walked towards the kitchen table. He grabbed a cell phone and a leather wallet and handed it to Dominick. Dominick opened the wallet and pulled out the few contents. Along with five crisp one-hundred-dollar bills, he had a driver's license and debit card, both labeled with a pseudonym. He folded the wallet and slipped it into his back pocket.

Closing his eyes for a moment, Dominick allowed himself a small smile; he'd succeeded. Brandon was one the gang members back in Ironton, and was one of very few to have any direct contact with Dominick himself. Dominick chose him to help with the escape. All of the letters Dominick wrote to Brandon contained details and descriptions of his planned escape, along with instructions for Brandon to follow in order to prepare for Dominick's arrival. As the time grew close to Dominick's flee, Brandon readied the hideaway house and hired a driver, making sure everything was in place. Dominick hoped it would all go to plan, but he was never 100% sure. Until now.

Dominick stood up and sauntered into the kitchen. He quickly fixed himself a sandwich and began to eat, having been without food for over a day. He strolled over to the counter and picked up a newspaper. He flipped through the pages, stopping to read an article hear and there. It was the first time he'd been able to freshen up on the current events outside the prison, as newspapers and periodicals were banned in confinement. Suddenly, his eyes focused on a picture near the back pages. His plate fell out of his hands and dropped to the floor, shattering instantly into tiny pieces.

"Oh, my fucking god," he muttered, as he recognized a few of the faces in the picture. "Brandon, get your ass over here, now," Dominick snarled.

Brandon scurried off his chair and into the kitchen. Dominick pointed at the picture. "Dominick, sir, I don't know what you're getting at," Brandon said, confused by his boss's actions.

"Brandon, that dog in the picture-" Dominick pointed at the Dalmatian, "he's the one that got me caught. I thought I killed him that night. And that shepherd was part of the fucking police force who arrested me." Dominick read the caption below the picture, _"…and the PAW Patrol was honored for saving the Adventure Bay Town Hall from disaster once again."_

Dominick could not believe what he saw – there was no way the pup survived the lethal blow to the head, and if he did, he'd be severely handicapped. But the smiling Dalmatian in the picture was unmistakable – it was Marshall, and he was still alive.

Dominick ripped the page out of the newspaper and folded it, sliding it into his back pocket. He returned to his chair in the living room and sat down, once again stroking his goatee while he was deep in thought. Brandon followed him into the living room, but instead of reclining he walked towards the door.

"Sir, everything is complete. My number is programmed into the phone. Your car is outside. It is time for me to go, like you directed. But before I do, is everything OK?" Brandon asked Dominick, as he realized the picture clearly troubled his boss.

"Yes, Brandon, thank you. You've done great work. Please, a handshake before you go." Dominick stood up and walked towards the young man. As they approached one another, Dominick extended a hand, grasping Brandon's firmly in his own. He smirked, pulling Brandon towards him. He reached into his pocket and brandished a sharp knife, driving it deeply into the chest of the young man, twisting it savagely to cause more damage. Brandon coughed, staring directly into the eyes of his killer. His face turned white as his life slowly slipped away.

"Why…do this…me…" Brandon coughed as he slumped to the floor. Dominick grabbed him by the hair and lifted his head.

"You've served me well, young one. But I have no need for you anymore. Goodbye," Dominick whispered as he sliced Brandon's throat, killing him instantly. He would dispose of the body in a few hours when it was dark, dumping it in the nearby ocean. He had a small pang of regret for killing Brandon, but he did not want anyone to know his location. He meandered over to the kitchen and gathered the supplies to clean up his mess. _"Kind of ironic he assembled everything to hide his own death,"_ Dominick mused.

A couple hours later, Dominick was back in the bungalow. He had dumped the body deep into the ocean and tidied up all of the evidence. He walked back over to the chair and sat down, unfolding the newspaper clipping from his pocket. _"You're next Marshall,"_ he thought to himself, _"but I want to have some fun with your team, too."_ He smiled to himself, folding the picture once again and slipping it back into his pocket. He stood up and walked into one of the bedrooms, laying down and shutting off the lights.

* * *

Chase wandered out of his pup house and back into the lookout. The sun was low in the sky and evening was setting in. He saw Marshall and Everest playing together in the front yard, and the other pups sulking in their rooms. Walking through the sliding doors, he called Ryder on his pup tag. "Ryder, sir, are you there?"

Chase waited for a few moments before he heard a response.

"Yes, pup. Come up to the top floor," Ryder answered.

Chase walked into the elevator and waited until he heard the unmistakable ding at the top. He jumped out and met Ryder in the control room. He climbed on a bean bag next to his leader and looked him in the eye.

"Ryder, sir. We should tell Marshall after dinner," Chase spoke to Ryder, his gaze unwavering.

Ryder thought for a few seconds before nodding. "I think you're right, Chase. We'll call your father and Marshall's parents after dinner and have a discussion."

"Thanks, Ryder, sir," Chase answered, hopping in his owner's lap. Ryder scratched Chase behind the ear, eliciting a happy yelp from the pup. The pair entered the elevator and made their way to the bottom floor. Ryder called Marshall and Everest into the lookout for their dinner and Chase gathered the rest of the pups, as they were still without their pup tags.

Ryder filled each of their bowls and they all ate in silence, except for a few giggles from Everest when Marshall choked on some of his food from eating too fast. When they were all done with their meals, the pups gathered in the living room for some TV and reading. Ryder stopped Marshall as he was walking into the den.

"Marshall, can I have a word with you," Ryder asked.

"Sure, Ryder. What's up?" Marshall answered, slightly confused.

"I'd like you to meet me upstairs in a few minutes. I have something to share with you," Ryder continued.

Marshall was even more stupefied, having no idea what Ryder wanted. "I'll meet you up there soon," he responded, as he joined the other pups in the living room.

Ryder walked over to Chase and gestured for him to follow. Chase jumped up and sauntered towards Ryder, hopping in the elevator to the top floor. Upon reaching the upper level, Ryder called Gunther, Ajax, and Ashe on his pup pad. They all appeared on the big screen and greeted each other, though their faces were full of fear, angst, and worry.

A few seconds later, Marshall arrived at the top of the lookout. However, he wasn't alone.

"Marshall, sweetie, how are you?" Ashe said, happy to see her son. "And who might this be?" She smiled at the husky who followed Marshall upstairs.

"Uh, um, uh, hi mom," Marshall stuttered, surprised to see his parents on the screen in front of him. "This is, uh…"

"I'm Everest. You must be Marshall's mom. Pleased to meet you," Everest finished for Marshall. The young Dalmatian's face at this point was bright red, embarrassed in front of his parents.

"Everest, can you please go back downstairs?" Ryder asked of the husky pup. "We have some private business to take care of."

Everest looked over at Ryder and Chase before walking over to Marshall. "Sure, Ryder. Sorry I came up here," Everest responded, brushing up against Marshall as she hopped back in the elevator to go downstairs.

" _That was strange…"_ Chase thought to himself, even though he knew about Marshall's feelings for the winter rescue pup.

Marshall was blushing even deeper now as he glanced at the screen and his parents. He could see them laughing to themselves, as Ajax put his paw around his mate. When Everest was out of the room, the looks on all their faces turned serious again. By this time, Marshall realized Chase's father was also on the call.

"Marshall, pup. I think you should sit down for this," Gunther started, his voice soft with concern.

Ryder pulled a bean bag over for Chase and Marshall and they hopped on, laying side by side. Chase put a paw on his buddy's back before Gunther continued.

"Marshall, we received word this morning that Dominick Blackthorne escaped from prison," Gunther stated, his voice breaking a little bit as he looked toward Marshall.

Immediately upon hearing those words, Marshall's face turned ghost white; even whiter than the color of his fur. His heart began to race and he began to shake uncontrollably.

"Wh…wh…what did you say," the Dalmatian pup stammered, unable to control his emotions. His mother began to cry, causing Ajax to pull her even closer.

"Marshall, are you OK?" Ryder asked, concerned for his pup, but Marshall did not hear him. Memories began to flood into Marshall's mind, from the tortures of his training, to the cold, dark months in the pound. His vision became blurry as his heart continued to race. His breathing quickened, unable to control himself as he started to hyperventilate.

By this time, Chase realized something was wrong. He called over to Ryder, who rushed towards Marshall. The fire pup's sight began to grow black. Ryder reached for Marshall, but before he could grab him, the Dalmatian pup fainted, falling to the floor off the beanbag. Ryder immediately picked Marshall off the floor and felt for a pulse; the pup's heart continuing to race. He began to talk to the pup, trying to soothe and calm him, but it didn't appear to be working. He ordered Chase to call Katie and have her come immediately. He sat down on the chair, struggling to calm Marshall. Ajax, Ashe, and Gunther could only look on, unable to help the poor pup. They only hoped he would settle down and wake up soon.

* * *

 _ **A/N: Well, we now have completion of most of the backstories in this plot. There will probably be other flashbacks as we go along, but the majority will be current events. I put a small glimpse of MarshallxEverest in this chapter, I don't know what kind of relationship developments we'll have, but you'll have to wait and see. I hope you all enjoyed Chapter 6!**_


	7. You'll Be Sorry

_**A/N**_

 _ **Hey all! Back with another chapter Of Flames and Fury. It took a little bit of time to get here, but thanks for your patience. Hopefully my new Short Stories and PAWSome Love helped tide you over. If you haven't checked those out yet, take a look and let me know what you think!**_

 _ **Work was crazy busy the past month, but things are slowing down. That means I'll have more time to dedicate to my writing, meaning the wait for chapters should be shorter. And I have most of the next chapter and some of the following parts already done! Just need to clean them up and get them ready for posting. I'm hoping to have 2-3 chapters in the wings each time I post a new chapter to buffer. But I have a lot of the next segments planned already, making it easy.**_

 _ **On to some reviews:**_

 _ **Stuffwell359: Thanks for the feedback. I try to keep the characters as Canon as possible for this fic, obviously adding some seriousness and backstories, but trying to keep their personalities similar.**_

 _ **V-Dawg: Hope you continue to enjoy this story and the others I've written.**_

 _ **The Not-So-Ultimate-Writer: This chapter expands a little bit on your questions from your review.**_

 _ **Well, hope you enjoy Chapter 7. I'm also in the preliminary stages of my next fic. Look for that one in the next month or so. Thanks for all the feedback and reviews, keep them coming as they help me immensely in future works.**_

* * *

Katie rushed over to the lookout and hurried up the elevator. She found the Dalmatian pup unconscious, breathing erratically, and burning up. _"A panic attack…"_ she diagnosed in her mind as she scooped Marshall from Ryder's grasp. She ordered Ryder to quickly fill a tub with cool water and directed Chase to grab Marshall's EMT pack and oxygen mask. Katie plunged the panicking pup into the chilly bath trying to rapidly cool and calm him down. She carefully placed the oxygen mask over Marshall's muzzle and gently massaged his back; soon thereafter the pup began to relax. His parents looked on helplessly from the lookout monitor, heartbroken they weren't able to help their son.

After a few minutes of treatment, Marshall's breathing slowed and he tried to open his eyes. He blinked slowly, glancing around, before he started to cry. Katie looked up at Ryder and smiled weakly; her job was finished. Ryder carefully picked up Marshall in a soft, warm towel, dried him off and worked to soothe the poor pup. Chase sat silently in the corner, concerned for his buddy, while tears started to well in his eyes. He was beginning to recognize the severity of the situation and knew in his heart the PAW Patrol needed to come back together.

Once Marshall regained his composure and was sleeping soundly, Ryder said goodbye to Gunther, Ajax and Ashe. He knew they would be talking again in the following days, discussing their future plans of action. Ryder asked Chase to gather the rest of the pups for bed as he took Marshall to his room; the Dalmatian would be spending the night with the team leader in case of a recurrence of the nightmares. He told Chase to keep the news a secret from the rest of the team until the next morning; he didn't want them worrying about Marshall tonight.

Marshall slept soundly through the night, his body and mind exhausted from all the stress of the previous day. Starting with the punishment of the rest of the team to the revelation that Dominick Blackthorne had escaped from prison, the Dalmatian pup was sapped of all his energy. As the bright morning sun began to peek through the curtains, Ryder yawned and stretched himself awake, smiling weakly as he saw the fire pup still sleeping at the foot of his bed. He carefully stood up, trying not to disturb Marshall, but the movement stirred the sleeping pup. Marshall's eyes flickered open slowly, and he too yawned before stretching his legs.

"Morning, Ryder," Marshall said tiredly, his tail starting to wag slowly.

Ryder approached the pup and sat down next to him, petting him gently on the back.

"Good morning, Marshall. How are you feeling? Did you sleep well?" Ryder asked softly, still concerned for the Dalmatian.

Marshall blinked his eyes again, trying to wake himself up. "I slept OK, Ryder, thank you," Marshall answered before turning away and sighing. "I think I need to talk to the rest of the pups today."

Ryder carefully grabbed Marshall and set him on his lap, continuing to pet his back. He looked down at his pup and smiled again. "Marshall, you are a really good pup, did you know that?" he said. "We'll gather the rest of the team after breakfast. I think they'll want to say something to you too."

"Ryder, can you give them back their pup tags and collars? If…he's back, I think we'll need everyone working together," Marshall continued, shuttering as he almost said the name of his former master and captor. "Who knows what he has planned."

Ryder nodded in agreement with a serious look on his face. "If they all agree to sincerely apologize, I think I can make something happen," Ryder responded, now smiling at his fire pup.

"I think I know what to do," Marshall followed, before sharing his idea with Ryder. Ryder looked concerned at first, but ultimately agreed with Marshall's plan. The pair exited Ryder's room and joined the rest of the team for breakfast, Chase already having woke up the rest of the pups. Ryder filled each of the pup's bowls, starting with Marshall's, and spoke to them as they were eating.

"Pups, I'd like you all to meet me upstairs in the lookout after you finish breakfast. We have something important to discuss," Ryder instructed calmly.

All of the pups looked at each other, unsure about Ryder's motive. Chase glanced over at Marshall, who just smiled. He was glad his buddy was feeling better, but he was nervous about Ryder's plan for the rest of the team that morning.

* * *

Dominick sat in his chair in the bungalow, the blinds drawn tightly closed. He refused to venture outside during the day, trying to avoid any run-ins with citizens who might possibly recognize him. In one day he had gone from a criminal locked up for another decade to a free, though wanted, man, but it came at a price. He savagely killed two correctional officers and a citizen, though no one knew of his third murder.

The previous night was a long one; Dominick was unable to fall asleep. All he could think about was the pup that got him caught all those years ago. The two former partners never crossed paths in court; for all he knew, and hoped, Marshall was buried six-feet under the cold, hard ground. He had heard rumblings the pup was still clinging to life in the hospital, but was incarcerated before Marshall was released.

He pulled the newspaper clipping from his pocket once again. He scowled at the happy, smiling face of the Dalmatian pup. _"That God damn pup got to enjoy a free life while I was locked in that fucking cold prison cell,"_ he thought to himself angrily. _"Marshall had as much to do with my ring of terror as I did. That stupid fucking mutt…"_ he tore the picture in half, right through the face of the Dalmatian pup. He crumpled the ragged pieces and threw them angrily in the trash.

Dominick abruptly stood up and paced around the small bungalow. He needed a plan and he needed to research. He was oblivious to the news while in prison so he did not know anything about this dog-led rescue team. It appeared that Marshall had found a group of pups as highly skilled as himself, and was rehabilitated into a productive member of society. Dominick growled at the thought. _"My training and torture must have failed, God damnit…"_

He continued to pace for a few minutes before plopping himself roughly back into the chair. He had a small pang of regret for killing Brandon, now figuring a team would be of some assistance to him. He needed to find a way to contact more members of his old gang without drawing the ire or suspicion of the police. He closed his eyes and pictured Marshall's smiling face one last time. His rage grew from deep within before he growled aloud, "I'm going to find you, you bastard. And I will fucking finish you, and your team..."

* * *

The pups slowly finished their breakfast in silence and cleaned up the kitchen. When they finished their chores, they trudged unwillingly into the elevator and met Ryder at the top. He stood in front of the command screen with a serious look on his face. The pups glanced back and forth between each other, hoping they weren't going to be punished again. The pups were still apprehensive of their leader after his outburst the previous morning. Ryder nodded towards Marshall and the fire pup trotted forward, joining the leader at the front of the room. The other pups looked down, still embarrassed by their actions of the previous days and were worried Ryder was going to snap at them again today.

Ryder took a deep breath and looked at his team. "Pups, first of all, I owe you an apology," he started, causing the pups to peer up with surprised looks on their faces. "The words I used towards you all yesterday were unacceptable, and I am truly sorry. I let my anger get the best of me, which is something I've taught you all to control." He bowed his head sadly in shame. The pups looked at their leader with sorrow and regret; their actions caused him to lose his cool. They could see he was truly sorry. Ryder looked up again before continuing.

"Now, I called you all up here for another reason as well," he stated, before being interrupted by Rocky.

"Ryder, can I say something?" Rocky asked the team leader, his voice breaking slightly as he spoke.

"Sure, Rocky, go ahead," Ryder answered.

Rocky took a deep breath and looked at the rest of the pups before speaking, "Ryder, I'd like to apologize as well," he started, walking to the front of the room next to Marshall, placing a paw on the Dalmatian's back, startling him in the process. "Marshall, the words we said to you the other day were unacceptable. You're our friend and our teammate and one of the bravest pups I know. I think I speak on behalf of the rest of the team that we are truly sorry for everything we said and how we all acted. I saw how much it hurt you the last couple days. I hope you can forgive me and the rest of the pups, right guys?"

"Yeah, dude. I'm sowwy too, Mawshall," Zuma stated, tears forming in his eyes.

"Marshall, I don't know why I said what I did, other than out of frustration, but I am sorry, too," Skye added, looking sadly at her paws after addressing Marshall.

"Yeah, buddy. I was upset our game ended and lashed out for no reason. I'm sorry, Marshall," Rubble said with sincerity.

Chase smiled and joined the group at the front of the room. "I owe you pups an apology, too. I was just sticking up for Marshall but I acted out as well. I didn't mean to fight you yesterday," he said, addressing the rest of the team.

Ryder allowed himself a small smile before ushering all the pups back into line. Everest smiled at Marshall, who too cracked a small grin. Ryder looked down at his fire pup and over at the rest of the team. "Thank you pups. Marshall, would you like to address the team?" Ryder asked.

Marshall sighed and looked down before he spoke. "Thanks guys," he sniffed, his emotions getting the best of him. "I was really hurt by what you said, but you're my friends and I forgive you. We need everyone to be strong as a team. It's not the PAW Patrol without all of us together," he finished, a few more tears forming in his eyes.

Ryder glanced down at Marshall and pet him gently on the head. The rest of the pups joined them at the front of the room to embrace their teammate, thankful for his forgiveness. They reformed their line and addressed Ryder.

"PAW Patrol, ready for action, Ryder, sir!" Chase called, stomping his foot on the ground. Ryder smiled at the team before giving Marshall one last look. "Marshall, what do you think?" he asked the Dalmatian pup before reaching in his pocket.

"I'm good with it, Ryder," Marshall answered, before joining the rest of the team in line.

"Well then, I think the rest of you need these back," Ryder continued, tossing Rubble, Rocky, Zuma, and Skye their collars and pup tags. "I am reinstating all of you to the PAW Patrol, as long as you promise to treat each other with respect from here on out," Ryder finished, receiving hearty agreement from all the pups.

When the excitement finally settled down, Ryder once again addressed his team. "Pups, this isn't the only reason I called you up here, today," he started, a stern and serious look appearing on his face. He glanced over at Marshall and nodded, the fire pup rejoining Ryder at the front of the command center. "Marshall and I have something else we need to share with you."

Marshall gulped, his heart rate quickened and nerves began to kick in. He'd never shared any information about his past with any of the other pups, except for Chase. He took a deep breath and spoke to the rest of his teammates.

"Pups, I haven't always been a good citizen. I have a past, before the PAW Patrol, as most of you do, too. But mine was different," he took another deep breath, fighting back a tear before he continued.

"There's something all of you need to know about me. I was the sidekick to a notorious drug ring leader in Ironton. I trafficked drugs and injured…" Marshall gulped again, "and even killed members of the underground rival drug gangs." Marshall bowed his head in shame as the rest of the pups gasped in shock. Chase joined Marshall at the front of the room and placed a paw on his buddy's back.

"That was in the past, Marshall," he whispered in the Dalmatian's ear. "We all know you as the Marshall we see today." He patted him on the back before rejoining the rest of the team. Marshall looked up and smiled at Chase. The shocked looks were still plastered on the rest of the pups faces. Marshall took another deep breath before he started the abridged version of his past.

He started by reliving his kidnapping from Mainland, where he was the star pupil in the fire academy, getting abducted during a routine mission. He shared details about the torture and training Dominick forced him to undertake. He talked extensively about his tasks as the sidekick to the kingpin, choosing though to leave out a lot of the gory and gruesome details. And finally, he explained the final mission, where he was badly injured, and where Chase and Gunther rescued him.

"I was placed in the pound for six months after I healed in the hospital," Marshall continued, shuttering at the memories. Not even Chase knew about Marshall's time in puppy prison.

"The reason I'm clumsy today is due to the traumatic brain injury from Dominick's walking stick. I'm virtually 99% recovered, but there are still moments my coordination is not perfect," Marshall finished, fighting back more tears.

By this time, the rest of the pups were astonished; they had no idea about the trials and tribulations Marshall had suffered prior to joining the PAW Patrol. Too stunned to move or say anything, they sat in silence, staring at the fire pup.

"And after Marshall served his time in the pound, we asked him to join the PAW Patrol," Ryder added, trying to end the story in a positive fashion. "After meeting his parents and talking to his old instructors at the fire pup academy in Mainland, I knew he was the right pup to join Chase and myself. We started the PAW Patrol right after that," Ryder finished, kneeling down and embracing the somber Dalmatian.

The rest of the team joined Ryder and Marshall for a group hug at the front of the room. They needed to let Marshall know that none of that information changed any of their respect for their teammate. Finally, they realigned in front of the control screen, when Rocky spoke again.

"Marshall, why did you tell us all of this?" the eco pup wondered, as the rest of the pups nodded and murmured in agreement.

Marshall looked intently at Chase and then Ryder, who both nodded, before answering Rocky's question. He took one final deep breath before speaking.

"Because Dominick Blackthorne escaped from prison."

* * *

 _ **A/N: Well, we found out a little more about our pup, Marshall. And the team regrets all of their behaviors. Looks like it will be just in time, as nobody knows what will be coming next.**_

 _ **Until next time,**_

 _ **-Zomatic-**_


	8. On the Move

_**A/N:**_

 _ **Hey all! WOW! I can't believe this story has already hit over 2500 reads! That amazes me! I'm so grateful for every one of you! But let's get to 3000!**_

 _ **Here's chapter 8 Of Flames and Fury. A little bit of a shorter chapter here with a few different looks.**_

 _ **To answer a few of the questions in the reviews:**_

 _ **Pressurized: I hope this chapter gives you a good introduction on how the pups react to the news. But I'm sure we'll see more and more of that as we go forward. Stay tuned!**_

 _ **Stuffwell359: I'm glad you enjoy the plot so far. That's a real compliment coming from someone who can write great stories. Thanks! Keep checking in for more!**_

 _ **V-Dawg: Hopefully this chapter gives you a little bit more of a look into Dominick's motives. And as for your prediction, well, you never know ;).**_

 _ **Thanks for all the reads and reviews! Keep an eye out for the next chapter soon. I'm also hoping to get my first chapter/pilot out on my next series, as well as an update to PAWSome Love and a new PAW Patrol Short. Take a look at those if you've missed them so far.**_

 _ **Finally, here's Chapter 8! Enjoy!**_

* * *

All of the pups gasped out of shock. They could not comprehend the news Marshall had just revealed to them. Five simple words may have just changed the entire course of the PAW Patrol. After hearing all those stories about Marshall's past and the tortures the fire pup endured during his time with Blackthorne, they understood Dominick would be a formidable challenge for any arm of the law, let alone themselves.

Up until today, the majority of the pups' missions were simple rescues. Some of these missions included saving a number of townspeople or their pets from mildly harrowing ordeals, rescuing Alex from another of his idiotic ideas, or cleaning up after storms or acts of mischief; the PAW Patrol only had routine tasks that were tame in nature. Yes, the pups had previously apprehended a few petty criminals, but no one of the magnitude of Blackthorne's antics. They all sat in stunned silence until Ryder addressed them once again.

"Pups, there has yet to be any contact with Dominick since he escaped, and the police have no idea where he is right now," Ryder said, snapping the pups out of their stupor. "For now, we're not planning to do anything. Who knows, maybe Blackthorne will hide out for years to come without bothering anyone. But if not, we'll be ready."

The pups nodded in agreement. Marshall smiled to himself sadly, happy that he had the entire PAW Patrol behind him once again but scared for all of them. They had all sincerely apologized without his or Ryder's prodding, and forgiveness came easy for Marshall. Everest slowly walked up to the Dalmatian pup and hugged him tightly before stepping back in line. Both pups blushed bright red as they looked up at each other.

"I'm so sorry, Marshall," she stammered, feeling slightly embarrassed. "I had no idea everything you went through in the past. You are definitely one of the strongest pups I know."

The rest of the pups spoke up in acknowledgement, agreeing with everything Everest had said. Ryder allowed himself a small smile as well; his team was once again back together. It may not be the way he imagined it, but it worked. _"We can only hope Blackthorne stays away…"_ he thought to himself as he patted a couple of the pups on their heads. Ryder walked over to the elevator and stepped inside, calling his team over. They followed him down the elevator, huddled together in solidarity. The PAW Patrol was reunited; they were ready for whatever was next.

* * *

The dim streetlights flickered along the grungy street; his new surroundings were a vast contrast to the beachside paradise of Coastal Plains. Dominick silently cursed himself again for killing Brandon. _"As naïve as he was, the mother fucker was still a good grunt,"_ he thought to himself, _"and I could use some good help right about now_." He skulked slowly down the dark road, staying in the shadows to avoid running into anyone along the way. _"Like anyone would really want to live in this piss-poor neighborhood?"_ he questioned, chuckling quietly to himself.

Dominick continued to sneak his way between the desolate buildings, eventually finding the location he desired. He roughly rapped on the cold steel door three times and stepped back, impatiently waiting for his knocks to be answered.

Earlier that morning, Dominick had phoned in a favor from Coastal Plains, utilizing the burner phone Brandon had provided, before Dominick swiftly disposed of it in the ocean. He decided to shave off his signature goatee and trim his hair, aiming to disguise himself from any potential recognition. He purchased a ticket on the budget bus line from Coastal Plains to Port Murdock, a run-down peninsula along the sea. The bleak city was formerly a booming transportation and logistics hub, but it had fallen on rough times during the recent depression. Businesses quickly abandoned the locale, leaving only the less-than-desirable citizens and the associated crime in its wake. Location-wise it was perfect for Blackthorne; it lay between Coastal Plains and Adventure Bay, offering Dominick a quicker route to his desired final destination. And it was some ways away from Ironton. He avoided the glares from the few roughriders on the bus, quickly finding a seat near the back. The journey was uneventful. Dominick hopped off the bus and made his way to the drab apartment address he was provided.

The heavy door lazily creaked opened into a dimly lit room. Dominick slipped inside, careful to close the door quietly, and locked the dead bolt behind him. He walked into the main room where two men were seated at a table. A third man, the one who had opened the door for the criminal, pulled up a chair for Dominick before he too joined the crew at the table.

"Boss, sir, welcome," one of the men said to Dominick, a stern and serious look on his face.

"You couldn't come up with something better than this shithole?" Dominick sneered back at him, turning his nose up at the filthy apartment.

"Sir, you didn't give us much time, and with such little capital this is all we could afford," another of the men answered.

"He's correct, sir. And there isn't much better in this fricking hell-hole. Why couldn't we stay in Ironton?" replied the third in the group.

Dominick scoffed at the response. "And risk getting caught? Hell no!" He answered. "I guess this will have to do," he murmured to himself before turning back to the other men.

"Now, I presume the fucking police will be searching for me," Dominick began, "but we are over 400 miles from Ironton. I doubt they'd look here." He sat back and scratched his head, his forehead becoming furrowed.

"I found out yesterday that my old sidekick Marshall is still alive," he continued, sitting up straight once again. "That fucking traitor got me caught, and now he gets to live the life of a god damned hero!" Dominick snarled, slamming his fist on the table, which startled the others in the room. Slowly, he rose and started pacing the floor, his anger building.

"I spent three god damned years locked up in a solitary cell. And that fucking dog lived free and happy. Do you know who killed and maimed most of those druggies? It surely wasn't me; that god damn Dalmatian was the best fucking attack dog I've ever seen." Dominick stopped pacing, a small smile came over his face.

"I trained him so well; never had I seen such clean and silent kills from an animal," he said softly, before sitting back down at the table. "But the bastard turned on me in an instant. That fucking coward surrendered to the police. I hoped to god I had killed him that night, because he wasn't getting away with his treasonous actions." Dominick's voice trailed off, a look of anger coming over his face.

"Sir, sorry to interrupt, but you're saying Marshall, or Shadow as he was known to us, wasn't locked up for life, or even put out of his misery?" one of the men wondered aloud.

Dominick slammed his fist down on the table once again, rattling the glasses that were placed on top of it. "I am going to fucking end him, once and for all. And if his meddling team gets in the way, they are all dead as well." He stood up angrily, knocking over his chair in the process and walked over to the sink. He filled himself a glass of water. The three men in the room exchanged glances, though they knew what they were in for. Dominick walked back over to the table, picking up his chair before he sat down once again.

"So, how many of you are left out there?" Dominick asked the others.

"Well, sir, it's been pretty quiet since you were captured," one of them answered. "We tried our best to keep the drug rings going, but many of the cowards quit. Though I think the news of your escape will bring some of them out of the woodwork."

Dominick scratched his chin before responding. "Very well," he said quietly, a sinister smirk appearing on his face. "We'll begin planning in the morning. I want to have some fun with that bastard and his team before killing him."

* * *

The pups played outside for most of the afternoon. Thankfully, they were not needed on any missions for the entire day. Ryder allowed his team some fun time, deciding to rescind all of their punishments after they all showed remorse for their actions. News from Ironton remained quiet; Dominick Blackthorne was still hiding from everyone. His whereabouts remained unknown to all of the authorities. Ryder spoke with Gunther again, working on some plans before heading downstairs in the lookout. He called all the pups in for dinner and filled their bowls.

The pups quickly finished their dinner, chatting happily amongst themselves. Ryder smiled; he was glad to see his pups enjoying each other's company once again. They cleaned up after the meal and ventured into the living room, eager to watch some TV before bed. When the pups got to the room, Zuma tapped Marshall on the shoulder before they sat down.

"Mawshall, dude, did you weally go to the pound?" Zuma asked with a questioning look on his face.

Chase overheard the start of the conversation and confronted Zuma, growling, "Why would you ask him about that? Do you think he wants to relive that?"

Zuma cowered fearfully, his tail slinking between his legs and his ears pinned back. He whimpered, scared of the police pup. When Chase noticed he was startling Zuma, he softened his stance, backing away and apologizing to the water rescue pup.

"Sorry, Zuma. My protective nature took over there again," Chase expressed, regretting his small outburst.

"I'm sowwy too, Chase. Mawshall, I shouldn't have asked you about that, dude," Zuma replied.

Marshall smiled weakly and gently placed a paw on Zuma's back. "It's no problem, Zuma. Really." He sighed before addressing the rest of the pups, who were looking at the lab, Dalmatian, and shepherd. "I bet you all want to hear about my time in puppy prison, don't you?"

The rest of the team nodded their heads, though they were unsure if they truly wanted to hear the true story. Marshall gulped, before pulling up a bean bag to the front of the room. _"Heh, if I'm going to tell an uncomfortable story, I might as well get comfortable…"_ the fire pup thought to himself. He tripped over his feet and fell onto the beanbag, his tail sticking in the air. The rest of the pups jumped onto their own bean bags, chuckling at their buddy's misfortune. Everest walked to the front of the room and patted Marshall on the back, causing the Dalmatian pup to turn bright red.

"Have I ever told you you're the bravest pup I know?" Everest said to Marshall before she joined the other team members on their bean bags.

Marshall smiled with a new-found confidence before jumping into the story head-on.

* * *

 _ **A/N: Ah, so we see Dominick is planning his next moves. What do you think he's up to?**_

 _ **And we'll learn even more about our favorite Dalmatian in the next chapter. What do you think happened in The Pound? Do you think Marshall met any of his future PAW Patrol team, either on purpose or inadvertently? Stay tuned!**_


	9. Pound Pup

_**A/N:**_

 _ **Hey all! Welcome back to Of Flames and Fury. It's been much too long, but I ran into much busyness at work, as well as some mild writers block. However, things have been slowing down and I've brainstormed further into this story, jotting down the focus and path, so chapters should come quicker.**_

 _ **This is part 1 of 2 on Marshall's experience in the pound. I hope you enjoy it. The second part should come very soon, and then we'll get into the real action and present-day action of the story. There will continue to be short flash-backs, but nothing that becomes the focus of the chapters like a couple of these have.**_

 _ **Also, I have outlines written for a couple new stories as well. I'm really excited about those and think you'll really like them.**_

 _ **To V-Dawg, SharpDragonKlaw, and Stuffwell359, thanks for your reviews!**_

 _ **To everyone else, thanks for reading, and check out my other stories as well! I think you'll like them.**_

 _ **So, without further ado, here's Chapter 9 Of Flames and Fury - Pound Pup, Part 1**_

* * *

Dominick Blackthorne was a troubled child but was immensely intelligent. Always near the top of his class, Blackthorne managed to seamlessly tie mischief with excellence in his studies. It's been said dangerous psychopaths are born from under-nurtured geniuses, and Dominick fit that mold to a T.

His teachers struggled to corral his insatiable urge to cause destruction in science classes, from lighting small explosions in chemistry to mutilating his dissection animals in biology. The stories he wrote for English and literature classes were detailed deep with meaning, though the instructors sensed a sign of distress; almost like a warning call. He made it through high school, though, without much fanfare.

The dark underworld of Ironton soon became too strong of an attraction for a curious mind like Dominick's. Immediately following graduation, he drifted along a perilous path, joining the ranks of the criminals and gangs in the dangerous city. Once fully committed, his intelligence and cunning mind led him to the top.

There were few who could directly challenge the young mastermind, and those who did quickly found out his true powers. But the one thing Dominick lacked and longed for from a young age was a companion. A canine companion, to be exact. His parents refused to allow the boy a dog, so when he finally made his own life, he searched for his partner. However, he was not looking for a dog as a pet; no, that ship sailed years ago. To further his dominance of the city of Ironton, Dominick needed a capable canine, one who was capable and intelligent. And one who wouldn't hesitate to commit the pinnacle of all crimes: murder.

He struggled with multiple dogs at the beginning, each of whom was killed in the line of duty or by Dominick himself. Mistakes on missions led to their deaths. Failure on a mission led to torture. Some dogs, most of whom were kidnapped by Dominick, tried to escape, but the madman was always one step ahead. His search, seemingly futile, led him to the pup academy in Mainland, where he stumbled upon the star pupil. Finally, his brainwashing and torture techniques worked; he had found a headstrong pup who would cave to all of his requests yet was independent enough to carry out dangerous missions. He thought they were the perfect team, until that dog turned on him.

" _Maybe my god damn parents were right…"_ Dominick thought to himself angrily as he sat silently in his ramshackle apartment. He had requested some alone time, and his sidekicks had left to grab some takeout from the local Chinese restaurant. _"I'm done with canines,"_ his pondering continued, _"and I think I know what I'm going to do…"_ his thoughts trailed off into a small smirk. He was stirred from his daydreaming by the sound of the door open, as his underlings returned with his food. They quickly finished their dinner and went to bed, exhausted from a long day.

* * *

The cold, steel, chain-link door slammed behind the timid Dalmatian as he was thrown into a small cage in a room at the back of the pound. He grimaced as his newly-healed wounds stung with pain. The deep mental wounds of his torture and crimes, though, burned worse.

It had only been two weeks since he woke up in the unfamiliar confines of the hospital, unaware of his surroundings. He relished the reunion with his parents, spending each waking minute in the warm embrace of their presence. However, that reunion was short-lived. As soon as his injuries resolved enough to be released from the hospital, Marshall was swiftly removed from the friendly confines of the medical ward and sentenced to six months in the pound.

The jury deliberated for two long days on his sentence, eventually finding him guilty for the crimes he committed. The judge, however, was lenient; Marshall could have been sentenced to euthanasia for all of his horrific actions, but the judge determined the dalmatian was not acting under his own volition. Marshall and his family thanked the heavens for the second chance at life, but Marshall knew the pound would be no walk-in-the park.

That first night was full of mental anguish for the dalmatian pup; he was lonely in solitary confinement that evening until he could be assessed the next morning. A small steel bowl of water sat in the corner of the cold cage; other than that, it was empty. Marshall was unable to fall asleep, tossing and turning on the hard metal floor of his kennel. Gruff security guards walked through every hour, checking to make sure he was not endangering himself. Each time they approached his cage, Marshall growled and bared his teeth, eliciting cold chuckles from the guards.

" _How can they do this to me,"_ the pup thought to himself, angrily slamming his paw against the floor. Eventually, tiredness enveloped his mind. He finally allowed his eyes to close, drifting off into a restless sleep. What felt like only mere minutes later, the door to solitary confinement creaked open and a bright light flicked on in the room.

"Rise and shine, sweetheart," a rough voice called to the sleeping pup. Marshall sprung upright, exhausted but wide awake. He saw a smirking uniformed officer standing in front of him. The officer grabbed a pair of thick leather gloves and opened Marshall's cage. He reached in with a wire collar and tried to slip it over Marshall's head.

The dalmatian growled and bared his teeth again, gnashing at the officer's outstretched hands. "I wouldn't do that if I were you, pup," the officer grumbled, finally succeeding in collaring Marshall. He roughly attached a leash to the collar and pulled tight, choking the pup and causing Marshall to yelp.

"The less you struggle, the less it hurts, dog," the officer said, though he didn't turn around. He jerked on the leash one more time and had Marshall follow him, leading him down the bright, sterile hallway to a secure room. The officer pointed to a chair and urged Marshall to jump up, shackling his paws to prevent him from running or attacking anyone.

"Alright, Cheryl, he's all yours," the officer spoke as a well-dressed woman entered the room.

"Thanks, Officer Wentz, I've got it from here," Cheryl answered, ushering the officer out of the room and closing the door behind him. Cheryl grabbed a file folder from the basket on the wall and took a seat, facing Marshall. Marshall cowered, backing away, though he remained on alert. Cheryl crossed her legs, her forehead furrowing as she read the detailed contents of the file.

"Marshall Ajax McCollum," Cheryl mused aloud. "Crimes committed: drug trafficking, larceny, manslaughter…you've accumulated quite the rap sheet for a young pup, haven't you." She looked up from the file and eyed the pup in front of her.

A low growl sounded from the dalmatian pup. "And what do you want to do about it?" he snarled.

Cheryl continued to read the file, unfazed by the reaction from the pup. "Successful fire pup student. Top of the class in Mainland," she continued, looking up at Marshall. "Seems like you abandoned a pretty good life…"

"I didn't fucking choose to leave," Marshall snapped, interrupting Cheryl. He sat at alert, shaking as his rage grew from within. "Do you think I liked getting kidnapped? Do you think that's what I fucking wanted?"

Cheryl jotted a few notes in the file, still seemingly unaffected by the outbursts from the dalmatian pup. Marshall, not wanting to fail to get his point across, continued.

"God damnit! I loved my life in Mainland. I was about to fucking graduate. I was the god-damn best fire pup around. And you have the nerve to accuse me of choosing this shit?" Marshall roared, his heart racing and his fur standing on end.

Cheryl calmly smiled at Marshall, still unfazed by his behavior. "I'm just reading what I have on file, dear. Remember, I've never met you before."

This angered Marshall even more. He tried to jump off the chair and attack Cheryl, but the shackles and his collar held him back. He yelped as the shackles dug into his forelegs. Embarrassed by his outburst, he sat down, sulking backwards.

"Sorry, Cheryl," Marshall uttered. The lady's face remained unchanged, just a small, calm smile showing on her mouth.

"Apology accepted. Now, let's get back to it," Cheryl continued. "It says here you were captured during a botched robbery attempt. Officer Gunther reported that you showed remorse before being attacked by Dominick Blackthorne,"

Upon hearing the name and memory of his attack, Marshall's breathing hastened. He could feel his heartbeat racing and his body heating up. He looked up at Cheryl with panic in his eyes.

Realizing that Marshall was having a panic attack, Cheryl set the file down and walked towards the pup. She grabbed a syringe and leather gloves and began to soothe and calm the pup. Her gentle touch seemed to be doing the job, as Marshall's breathing began to slow and he became coherent once again. She took a deep breath and set the syringe back on the counter, relieved she didn't have to use the sedation.

"What…what happened," Marshall stuttered, regaining his wits. Cheryl jotted a few more notes in Marshall's file before she answered.

"The memories triggered a panic attack. I've taken note and will monitor this in the future," she answered calmly.

The initial assessment continued for a few more minutes before Cheryl called Officer Wentz back into the room. By this time, Marshall was mentally exhausted. He put up little fight as Wentz attached the leash and unlocked the shackles. He mindlessly hopped off the chair and followed Officer Wentz back into solitary confinement. The officer ushered Marshall back into the cage, where he almost immediately collapsed from fatigue.

* * *

Marshall took a deep breath and closed his eyes. The memories still burned deeply in his mind from his initial days in the pound.

"Wow, dude, I nevew knew…" Zuma uttered, stunned by the story.

"Just wait until we get into the real stuff," Marshall answered, his voice cracking slightly. He hopped off his beanbag and walked into the kitchen. "Storytelling makes me thirsty. I need some water. I'll continue my story after a break. The other pups followed him into the kitchen, where Ryder had filled their water dishes. Everest grabbed a couple pup treats from the dispenser in the living room and handed them to Marshall. Blushing, she patted him on the back.

"I can't believe you went through all this," she said, amazed at the strength and resolve of the Dalmatian pup. Marshall turned around and smiled, wrapping his arms around Everest in a warm embrace.

"I needed some motivation and confidence to tell this story, and you've helped," Marshall answered, causing Everest to blush even deeper.

"You two lovebirds almost done in there?" they heard Chase call from the living room. They looked at each other and laughed before trotting back into the room. They hopped on to their respective bean bags and settled in.

"Now, where were we…" Marshall continued. "Oh, yeah. The next morning Officer Wentz came in and…"

* * *

 _ **A/N:**_

 _ **Hope you enjoyed that chapter! What kind of troubles or rehab do you think Marshall will go through in the pound? Do you think it will be smooth sailing or will there be moments of turmoil? Will we see the return of the fun-loving fire pup after the pound?**_

 _ **Thanks for all your patience and continued readership. All the reads and reviews to this story and my others keep me writing. Until next time, which shouldn't be nearly as long,**_

 _ **-Zomatic-**_


	10. Solitary Confinement

_**A/N: Hey all! I'm excited that the wait for Chapter 10 Of Flames and Fury was a lot shorter than last time!**_

 _ **While writing the finale of Marshall's backstory, it ended up being a lot longer than I had planned, which to me is a very good problem to have. There will be a few more snippets of important information in the next chapter, though this chapter contains some gems as well. I hope you are enjoying it so far! I plan on having the final chapter of the backstory out very soon, maybe even by the end of this weekend.**_

 _ **I'm also planning on updating both of my One-Shot collections, PAWsome Love and Short Tails very soon as well. If you haven't taken a look at those, check them out and give some feedback as well!**_

 _ **This story has over 4,000 views (the count got kind of messed up with a glitch in the chapters last month). That's more than I ever expected, and we're just getting started! Thanks also to the followers of the story, I appreciate the support.**_

 _ **Atlas FF: Thanks for following and reading. I'm glad you like the story so far and I hope you stay tuned as we get farther into it.**_

 _ **Entity of Spite: The support is always appreciated.**_

 _ **That's all for now. I hope you enjoy Chapter 10 Of Flames and Fury: Solitary Confinement**_

* * *

Marshall was roughly stirred from his deep slumber as the door to solitary swung open. _"Morning already, damn…"_ he swore to himself as Officer Wentz strolled into the room. Exhausted from the previous day, Marshall wasn't ready yet to wake up.

"Morning, sweetheart. Rise and shine," he said with a wry smile on his face. Marshall slowly arose, stretching and cracking his aching joints, relieving the cramps from his uncomfortable confines. Officer Wentz grabbed the familiar leather gloves from the counter before approaching the kennel.

"You don't need those fucking gloves today," Marshall scowled as Wentz approached his cage. "I'll come without a fight."

Officer Wentz let out a small chuckle. "You think I'd listen to a scoundrel like you, mutt?" he replied. Marshall growled and lunged at the cage door.

"Don't you ever call me shit like that, again," the dalmatian yelled. Wentz opened the kennel door and reached in, gruffly attaching the leash to Marshall's collar. The officer forcefully jerked on it as he stood up. Marshall yelped in pain as he heard an audible laugh from the officer.

Wentz glanced over at the pup and smirked again. "That's much better, pup," he said as he led Marshall down the same bright hallway as the previous day. He propped open the door to Cheryl's office and dragged the pup behind him. Cheryl smiled weakly at the officer as he guided Marshall into the familiar examination chair. Her smile faded as Wentz began to shackle Marshall to the chair.

"A little much, don't you think?" Cheryl asked the officer as he finished securing Marshall into the harness.

"Pht, and let this thug mutt have free reign on you? Yeah, right," Wentz replied. Marshall growled deeply at the officer, but Cheryl jumped in first.

"That's enough, Officer. You are excused," she said curtly as she ushered Wentz from the room, shutting the door gently behind him.

"You'll learn to ignore him soon enough, Marshall," Cheryl continued as she turned around and walked to her desk, taking a seat across from the Dalmatian. "He only does that to get a rise out of the new dogs. He's been the lowest officer on the totem pole for so long, he uses this as his one point of power." She looked over and smiled at him, hoping to make the pup feel more comfortable.

She reached over and grabbed a file folder from the box on her desk. Sliding her reading glasses onto her nose, she peered at her notes from the previous day and then glanced up again. "Now, let's start over from yesterday," she began. "If I remember correctly, all we did yesterday was read from this file. I never got to know you," Cheryl continued, "and I never introduced myself." Her face softened into a warm smile. She stood up from her chair and slid it closer to the Dalmatian pup. She sat down and crossed her legs, reaching a hand out. Marshall cowered, a quiet growl sounded from his throat.

"Hmm, OK, maybe that's too soon," Cheryl responded calmly, continuing to smile at the pup shackled to the chair in front of her. She carefully removed her rimmed reading glasses and set them atop the folded file.

"Let's do this without any distractions. By now you know my name is Cheryl," she began, her voice soft and friendly. "I am the pound's psychiatrist and head counselor. My job here is to evaluate new inmates and direct their rehabilitation. Each case is unique and I work to develop and maintain a plan to make sure every pup leaves here a changed dog." She smiled as she explained this to Marshall. Marshall could feel his anxiety and edginess waning; he felt comfortable in Cheryl's presence. Cheryl sensed this, before continuing.

"Unfortunately, not every dog leaves the pound," she said as her face turned serious. "Some dogs are too engrained in the criminal lifestyle, while others have committed crimes too heinous to ever be released…" Marshall stiffened as he heard this. Sensing a change in his demeanor, Cheryl quickly jumped in with an explanation.

"But you don't have to worry. Yes, your crimes were significant, but your prior behavior, as well as the circumstances you faced have given you a second chance. It will be up to you to demonstrate that you are ready to leave. It won't be an easy process; there will be setbacks and hardships along the way. But the majority of dogs who participate in my program return to society." She picked up her glasses and placed them back on the tip of her nose. Opening the file folder, Cheryl grabbed a pen and scratched a few notes.

"Now, is there anything you'd like to tell me about yourself?" Cheryl asked as she looked up from her notes.

Marshall opened his mouth but found he was unable to speak. He was overwhelmed by the information he had just learned. He closed his muzzle and shook his head; Cheryl smiled warmly back, understanding the complexity of the situation.

"Very well," she responded, "these sessions will continue daily for the next week. You will remain in solitary confinement during that period. I will be designing your program with the answers you provide, as well as your nonverbal communication." Cheryl looked down at the folder and wrote something down. Looking up, her smile faded briefly as she spoke one more time to the Dalmatian pup.

"One word of advice: don't let Wentz get to you. Ignore him but respect him. Your life will be a lot easier." With that, she closed the file folder and slowly stood up, pulling her chair back to her desk. She smiled over at Marshall before she pressed a button, calling Officer Wentz back into the room. He roughly attached the leash back to Marshall's collar and detached the shackles. Marshall hopped off the chair without any coaxing and followed Wentz back towards solitary. Cheryl showed them out the door and smiled to herself; her advice seemed to have worked.

* * *

The next few days went by like a blur to Marshall. Each morning Officer Wentz woke the pup gruffly from his deep yet uncomfortable rest. Though Marshall wanted to snap at his crude and sarcastic remarks, he held his emotions sufficiently in check. Once Wentz realized he could no longer get a response from the Dalmatian, he became much more subdued. The familiar walk down the hall soon became a silent ritual.

Marshall's sessions with Cheryl grew more grueling, though, as the week progressed. She dug deep into his memory bank, both prior to his abduction and during his captivity. As a trained therapist, she was genuinely able to make Marshall feel comfortable in her presence; he talked to her about the tortures he went through as Dominick's sidekick, as well as the details about the crimes he personally committed. No matter how heinous or gruesome, her warm smile never changed; she sat there silently, allowing the Dalmatian to freely share, jumping in only with follow-up questions.

There were a few tense moments, times of rage and the pent-up anger Marshall had towards Dominick bubbled over. But Cheryl just allowed these moments to pass, understanding the necessity of venting. She dug deep into the terrors of his time in captivity, making notes of his responses, both verbal and non-verbal. She could sense his regret and embarrassment, though he still showed anger and rage as well.

Cheryl also made sure to learn more about Marshall's dreams and aspirations; the focus of his life before everything changed. Cheryl could see the sparkle in Marshall's eyes when he talked about his goal to be a fire and rescue pup. He gushed on and on about his successes at the fire pup academy and shed some tears upon realization he was only weeks from graduation when Dominick abducted him. He even let Cheryl comfort him with some scratches behind the ear, his raw emotions flowing as he sobbed into her shoulder. He reiterated his desire to finish the academy, graduate, and join a fire team after leaving the pound.

As the second-to-last session wrapped up, Cheryl made a quick phone call. As she hung up, she turned around with a huge smile on her face. "I've got a surprise for you, Marshall," she said to the confused pup. Marshall looked at her with his head tilted sideways.

"Huh?" he stuttered, perplexed, wondering what Cheryl had planned. Cheryl grabbed the leash from the wall and attached it to Marshall's collar. She removed the shackles from his legs and allowed him to hop down.

"Follow me," Cheryl called, still smiling, as she led the Dalmatian out the door. Marshall followed the woman down the bright, familiar hallway, expecting to return to solitary. However, Cheryl walked past his confines and led him through a new door at the end of the hall. A gust of fresh, crisp fall air hit Marshall on the face as he realized he was outside.

"Oh my god, this is amazing!" Marshall yelped as he basked in the late afternoon sunlight. He hadn't been outside in weeks, coming straight to the pound from the hospital.

"I pulled a few strings, but I wanted to give you this special treat for your hard work the past week," Cheryl explained to Marshall. The Dalmatian pup laid down in the grass, enjoying the outdoors. Cheryl placed a bowl of food in front of Marshall, and the pup enjoyed his dinner outside. After about a half-hour, Cheryl led Marshall back inside and returned to solitary confinement.

"Thank you, Cheryl," Marshall breathed; this was the first time he had felt like a pup in ages. The woman knelt down and scratched Marshall on the head.

"Just don't tell anyone about this, okay?" Cheryl replied. Marshall nodded, his tongue lolling out of the side of his mouth. "I'll see you bright and early tomorrow morning to go over your rehab plan. And I have another surprise for you," she continued, smiling softly at the Dalmatian.

"I need you to understand, though, that my therapy is not easy; it will be a struggle through much of it. And the pound's required sessions will be a major challenge as well. And you're going to have to interact with the other pups. I know there'll be setbacks along the way, but I have faith in you." She pat him on the head one last time as she stood up and walked towards the door. "This is your last night in solitary confinement. It does get better from here." She opened the door and stepped out before turning back one last time.

"Sleep well, Marshall. You'll need all the rest you can get," Cheryl called as she left the room, extinguishing the lights behind her.

* * *

Marshall was already awake as Officer Wentz burst into the room. He was unable to sleep for most of the night, too nervous for all the change ahead.

"Rise and shine, sweetheart," the officer taunted once again.

"Morning, asshole," Marshall taunted right back, realizing this was his last morning with Wentz.

Officer Wentz cracked a bit of a smile. "You know, I'm going to kind of miss you and your attitude, mutt," he answered mockingly as he grabbed the leather gloves and leash. Marshall let out an audible chuckle as Wentz attached the leash to his collar, tugging on it one last time for good measure.

"I think you've gotten soft," Marshall taunted as Wentz led him down the hall towards Cheryl's office. The officer opened the door and ushered Marshall inside. He began to shackle Marshall's paws, but Cheryl stopped him.

"Those won't be needed today," she ordered, showing Wentz to the door. He looked back as he left the room, noticing a mock salute from the Dalmatian pup as the door was closed behind him. Cheryl walked back to her desk and smiled at Marshall, sitting down in front of the pup.

"Well, Marshall, the time has come," Cheryl began. Marshall's heart rate quickened; he was suddenly nervous for the plan Cheryl had for him. "This morning, you will be moved into the general population. Each pup has his or her own sleeping quarters, but everything else is a common area." Cheryl grabbed her file folder and reached for her reading glasses, slipping them on the tip of her nose. She opened the folder and pulled out a few sheets of paper.

"Now, rehabilitation isn't easy," she continued. "Though the program is designed individually for each pup, there is still protocol that must be followed at the pound." Cheryl flipped through the pages until she found what she wanted.

"Each morning you have boot camp. During these sessions you will have individual and team drills. They will test you physically and mentally," she explained. "I suggest you get a good night's sleep before this training." Cheryl flipped through a few more pages. "In the afternoon, there are classroom sessions. You will be required to participate and successfully demonstrate competency at the end of the six months," she continued. Cheryl removed her glasses and set them on top of the folder. She gazed over at Marshall, who was sitting on edge. Her face softened before she continued speaking.

"I will warn you that you won't get along with all of the pups," Cheryl continued. "You will have arguments and fights. From my assessment this past week I can sense some underlying anger and rage, not only towards Dominick, but towards yourself as well." She grabbed her glasses once again and flipped through a few more pages. "You will have therapy sessions twice a week with a team assembled. I will be providing the final assessment, but you will be working with different professionals throughout the six-months."

Marshall looked over at Cheryl, his nerves unrelenting. Sensing his anxiety, Cheryl tried to calm his concerns. "Yes, it will be tough. But I have faith in you, Marshall." She set the folder down once again, finished explaining the plan to Marshall. "The biggest challenge I see for you will be to forgive yourself. Once you can do that, you will be ready to move on." Cheryl made one final note in her file before peering at the Dalmatian pup in front of her, a smile growing on her face.

"And finally, I said I had one more surprise for you." Cheryl stood up and walked towards the door on the opposite side of the room. She exited the office for a brief minute. Marshall was still unable to relax. As the door knob turned, his heart rate picked up once more. Cheryl strolled back into the room but was not alone. Following behind the woman was an adult Dalmatian who walked with a slight limp.

"Marshall, let me introduce you to Blaze," Cheryl spoke, motioning towards the dog who followed her in to the office. Marshall looked towards the adult Dalmatian skeptically, slightly confused as to what was happening.

"Hello, sport," Blaze greeted the Dalmatian pup, approaching the chair on which he was sitting. Marshall sat up abruptly and growled, his hackles standing on end.

"Don't you dare call me that," Marshall spat at the adult Dalmatian. Blaze stopped and calmly sat back down. "Whoa, settle down there, I've just met you," he replied.

"Marshall, I've enlisted Blaze here to be your mentor during your rehabilitation," Cheryl continued, walking towards Blaze and patting him on the head. "While he won't be there all the time, he'll be right there to help guide your through the difficulties you will undoubtedly face."

Marshall glanced over at Cheryl; he was slightly confused by her statement. "What makes you think I need a mentor?" Marshall asked the therapist. "And you think _he_ will help me?" Marshall continued, nodding over towards Blaze.

Cheryl's face softened but turned serious. "Marshall, you've been great these past few days. But there is a protocol that needs to be followed here at the pound. You will be participating in extreme physical and mental challenges meant to break a pup. It won't be easy," she explained. Cheryl nodded over at Blaze, who continued.

"Marshall, the next six months are not something you should go at alone," Blaze answered. "I am here to guide you along the way." Marshall continued to ignore the adult Dalmatian. He looked up at Cheryl, becoming slightly annoyed.

"I've opened up to you. I've shared the god-damned secrets of my time in captivity. And now you think I'm helpless?" said Marshall, frustration building in his voice. Blaze looked over at the pup, concern in his eyes.

"We never said such a thing," Blaze answered sincerely, but was cut off by Marshall.

"Shut up! I wasn't talking to you!" he yelled, his rage beginning to bubble over. Cheryl stood up and got between Marshall and Blaze. She put a hand on Marshall's back, trying to calm him down. She grabbed the leash from the door and attached it to Marshall's collar.

"Marshall, it's time for you to become acquainted with your new quarters. You will be joining the boot camp first thing tomorrow morning. Sergeant Edwards is outside my office. He will be showing you to your room. You will listen to everything he and his team has to say. Am I clear?" Cheryl explained to the Dalmatian pup, clearly disappointed in his reaction towards Blaze.

"Yes, ma'am," Marshall answered dejectedly, slightly embarrassed by his outburst.

"Good," she responded, nodding at the pup to jump out of the chair. She opened the door and handed the leash to the uniformed officer outside the door. She shook his hand briefly and looked on as Marshall followed the Sergeant down the hall. She closed the door softly and glanced over at Blaze.

"Well, that couldn't have gone much worse," Cheryl said with a chuckle. Blaze responded with a slight snort of his own.

"He's in for a rude awakening. But he'll come around," Blaze answered.

"I sure hope so," Cheryl replied with a hint of apprehension and sadness in her voice. Blaze, sensing this, walked over and nuzzled her hand.

"You can count on me, Cheryl," he said. "That pup is getting out of here."

* * *

 _ **A/N: Well, I hope you enjoyed Chapter 10! It was a fun interlude chapter to write. But don't forget about this chapter as we go forward.**_

 _ **How do you think boot camp will go for Marshall? And, let's not forget what our criminal mastermind is planning! We'll revisit Dominick next chapter as well to have a quick look-in.**_

 _ **Until next time (which will be very soon!)**_

 _ **-Zomatic-**_


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